In honor of the New Orleans Saints winning thier first Super Bowl in franchise history, here are two prime examples of New Orleans. Enjoy!
Peyton Manning attempted to mount a comeback in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, but it was too late and the former laughing stock of the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, claimed a 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV.
For all of the bandwagon fans rooting for the Black and Gold, especially with all that the Big Easy has been through since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc back in 2005, most believed, including me, that the NFL MVP-led Colts would be victorious. I mean, how could you doubt Peyton Manning, especially with how he dissected the NFL’s top defense in the AFC Championship game? So when the Saints took a 24-17 lead with over five minutes remaining in regulation, I was 100% positive that the Colts would tie the game and probably set up the first overtime game in Super Bowl history (I guarantee the NFL did not want that to happen). And, like clockwork, they began to march down the field.
A pass to wide receiver Pierre Garcon for 17 yards. A few plays later, a 12-yard pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne. In a matter of a few minutes, the Colts had made it to the Saints’ 31-yard line. I’m sure that New Orleanians around the French Quarter were probably nervously sipping their Hurricanes at this point. But, a few plays later, it happened.
On 3rd and 5, defensive back Tracy Porter broke on a pass intended for Reggie Wayne and intercepted it, taking it to the house for a championship-sealing touchdown. Replays demonstrate that Porter knew exactly where Peyton Manning wanted to throw the ball and quite simply beat Wayne to the spot. The rest was history. A dejected Manning walked off the field, a look of anguish in his eyes. I think even he knew at that point that it was over. Defeated by his hometown team; the team his father quarterbacked for over 10 years.
As I write this article, I’m sure the streets of New Orleans are still buzzing with joy and excitement. And, I’m pretty sure that many residents called-in to work today. The Colts were outplayed and outcoached by the Saints. Coach Sean Payton made gutsy calls, such as the on-side kick to start the second half, and Super Bowl MVP and future key-to-the-city holder Drew Brees methodically beat the Colts’ defense time and time again. As for Peyton Manning and the Colts, a long offseason ensues.
Although #18 is a lock for Canton and will arguably go down as one of the top two QBs ever, he will relive that fateful attempted pass to Wayne in his nightmares all summer long. The supreme architect and perfectionist, Manning was not able to muster up the 4th-quarter comeback that has become his trademark. But, he’ll be back and more prepared than ever.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers have won 11 straight, tying the longest streak in the NBA this season. LeBron had 47 Saturday against the Knicks making, 24 consecutive points during a stretch in the first half.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Can you believe they won in Portland without Kobe? Kobe Bryant did not play for the Lakers in Portland Saturday night. It’s the first game he has missed since March 7, 2007. Kobe has missed 87 regular-season games since he entered the NBA in 1996-97. The Lakers are 54-33 (.621) in those games. The loss to Denver puts the Lakers 0-4 against the best in the East and 2nd best in West.
3. Denver Nuggets: If only they would have beating Utah the night after beating the Lakers they could have been #2, The Nuggets have never swept a season series against the Jazz. They host Dallas and San Antonio prior to All-Star Break
4. Orlando Magic: The lost to the Wizards at home on Friday spelled disaster. Orlando has lost its last seven games at home that were decided by a one-point margin, but a convincing win in Boston showed a side of Orlando we have yet to see this season.
5. Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in the Hawks’ victory against the Bulls. Smith was only the second player in the last 40 seasons (since 1970-71) to reach each of those statistical thresholds in one game for the Hawks. Jamal Crawford aka Mr. 6th man outscored the Bulls bench 17-8.
6. Utah Jazz: Winners of 8 straight, the Jazz have won 9 of their last 10 and if not for two losses to Denver they would have 15 wins in their last 18 games. Any game Deron Williams goes for 22 and Kirilenko gets 22, your team loses.
7. Boston Celtics: On Sunday they played the worst second-half since Kevin garnett and Ray allen joined the team. Boston is 1-7 combined against Orlando and Atlanta, two of the top four teams in the East, and 15-9 at home. Garnett moved into 20th place all-time in rebounds on Sunday.
8. Dallas Mavericks: Nowitzki spoke to the American Airlines Center crowd just before the Minnesota game to promote this weekend’s All-Star festivities in Dallas, but he did not acknowledge being out of the starting lineup. Maybe thats why they lost to the TIMBERWOLVES!
9. Phoenix Suns: Phoenix has a season-long five-game winning streak after losing seven of its previous nine games. Now if only the franchise can keep Stoudemire past February 18th!
10. San Antonio Spurs: Not what they used to be…George Hill has been playing well latley but the Spurs have lost four straight in Portland and dropped to 5-6 in their last 11 games.
11. Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder have won 5 straight, on the shoulders of Kevin Durant. On Saturday Durant scored 25 or more for the 24th consecutive game, the longest since Allen Iverson reached 27 in 2000-01.
12.Portland Trail Blazers On Saturday the celebrated their 40th anniversary….of injuries.Still if the Blazers make the Playoffs, Nate McMillian is the Coach of the Year.
13. Toronto Raptors: Toronto welcomed Turkoglu and DeMar DeRozan back to the starting lineup after injuries. Thank goodness it was the Kings, the Raptors have won six straight over the Kings in Toronto. DeRozan is our pick for Slam-Dunk Champ on Saturday.
14. Chicago Bulls: Tyrus Thomas was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. He missed Saturdays game against the Heat. Without Noah till after All-Star Break this weeks games against Indiana, and Orlando will be tough.
15. Houston Rockets: Aaron Brooks made six three-point field goals for the Rockets in their loss to the 76ers on Saturday. Brooks has made at least one three-pointer in 23 consecutive games, matching the longest such streak in the NBA this season. Congrats to Joey Dorsey for returning to the team against Memphis on Friday with 12 rebounds.
Everything is bigger in Texas, the food, the people, and the stadiums. This years NBA All-Star game is taking place in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. NBA Commissioner David Stern said because of the collaboration between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, “The result is now we’re going to wind up having the largest crowd attend a game in the history of the world.”
Both Jones and Cuban have said they hoped the NBA would try to surpass 100,000 fans. The building record is 105,121, set during the New York Giants’ 33-31 victory over the Cowboys in the home opener. During a recent interview with The News’ Eddie Sefko, Stern remarked that the All-Star Game will “set and retire” basketball’s attendance record.
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WEDNESDAY
4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: This one is for the kiddies. I’m not sure anything happens during the “jam session” other then kids screaming!
THURSDAY
4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: Another Jam Session, just in case you didnt get enough Jam in the first one!
FRIDAY
4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: This is ridiculous, another Jam Session. The kids are gonna be Jammed out!
6-8 p.m.: All-Star Celebrity Game, Jam Session Center Court, Dallas Convention Center: The fun of watching your favorite celebrity show that he shouldn’t quit his day job.
8 p.m.: T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, American Airlines Center: The Rookies have lost seven straight years to the Sophomores, but Derrick Rose was excused from playing because he was chosen as an All-Star reserve. The height of the Sophomore team could lead to problems for the Rookies, and make it 8 in a row for the Sophomores
Rookie Roster
| Omri Casspi (Kings) | F | 6-9/225 | Israel |
| DeJuan Blair (Spurs) | F-C | 6-7/265 | Pittsburgh |
| Stephen Curry (Warriors) | G | 6-3/185 | Davidson |
| Tyreke Evans (Kings) | G | 6-6/220 | Memphis |
| Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves) | G | 6-0/186 | Syracuse |
| Taj Gibson (Bulls) | F | 6-9/225 | USC |
| James Harden (Thunder) | G | 6-5/220 | Arizona State |
| Brandon Jennings (Bucks) | G | 6-1/169 | Lottomatica Virtus Roma (Italy) |
| Jonas Jerebko (Pistons) | F | 6-10/231 | Sweden |
Sophomore Roster
| Michael Beasley (Heat) | F | 6-9/245 | Kansas State |
| Marc Gasol (Grizzlies) | C | 7-1/265 | Spain |
| Danilo Gallinari (Knicks) | G-F | 6-10/225 | Italy |
| Eric Gordon (Clippers) | G | 6-3/222 | Indiana |
| Brook Lopez (Nets) | C | 7-0/260 | Stanford |
| Kevin Love (Timberwolves) | F-C | 6-10/260 | UCLA |
| O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies) | G | 6-4/210 | USC |
| Anthony Morrow (Warriors) | G | 6-3/190 | Georgia Tech |
| Russell Westbrook (Thunder) | G | 6-5/210 | UCLA |
SATURDAY
9 a.m.-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: What a surprise another Jam Session!
7 p.m.: All-Star Saturday Night (Haier Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk), American Airlines Center:
The Haier Shooting Stars consists of a current NBA player teaming up with a NBA Legend and a player from the WNBA, in a shoot off, how exciting!
The Slam-Dunk Contest has definitly been worth watching recently, but I’m not sure this lineup is going to show us anything we haven’t seen before. Look out for DeMar DeRozan as our pick for the Slam Dunk crown.
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At the beggining of the season we knew Stephen Curry was a lock for the 3-Point Contest, but the veteran additions of Paul Pierce, and Chauncey Billups may make it difficult for him to win.
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Derrick Rose looks to defend his title in the Skills Competiton against Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Brandon Jennings.
SUNDAY, FEB. 14
7 p.m.: 59th All-Star Game, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington: At Last the Game itself.
Here are the starters for the East and West,
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Up to this point in his career, Lebron James has exceeded the unbelievably high expectations and hype levied on him coming out St. Vincent St. Mary’s Prep Academy in Akron, Ohio. Night in and night out, the 6’8” human bulldozer terrorizes opposing defenses with indefensible drives to the basket, innate passing and playmaking ability, and a vastly improved jump shot. Most of the time, he is simply unguardable. Not only does he have the size and strength of an NFL linebacker, his end-to-end speed makes him impossible to stop in the open court. Would you take a charge from that man? I think not.
Quite simply the NBA, better yet the sports world in general, has never witnessed such an athletic specimen. In addition to his physical gifts, Lebron James has an extremely high basketball IQ and a natural unselfishness that is rare with superstars. He understands the value of getting his teammates involved and does so willingly. For all the praise heaped upon the 25-yr-old reigning NBA MVP, is it possible that he has yet to reach his peak? I’m sure opposing NBA GMs and coaches pray the answer to this question is yes.
Although already a dominant force and on course to being the best small forward ever, there are still some holes in the King’s game. Lebron James has worked tirelessly over the past few off-seasons to improve his shooting touch and now is a legitimate perimeter threat. However, he has the tendency to fall in love with the “J”. He’ll knock down a few jumpers early and will continue taking the lower percentage shot and go away from his strength, which is driving to the basket. The man is a virtually automatic “And-1” when he goes to the rim and should not stray away from this. Besides, his perimeter game is not quite on Kobe’s level…yet.
Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian
Secondly, he tends to lose concentration when defending his man in half-court sets. Now, many will scream “Are you crazy? He made the 2009 NBA All-Defensive Team!” Indeed, Lebron demonstrated a commitment to playing hard on the defensive end last season and continues to make plays on that side of the ball this season. He has made multiple Sportscenter “Top Plays” lists by chasing down unsuspecting players for volleyball spike-like blocked shots. But, I’ve noticed that he will take his eye off the player he’s guarding, focusing more on helping on defense. This allows his man to break open for wide open shots.
Honestly, that’s the only so-called flaws he has in his game. I expect Lebron James to win at least three titles before his career over and he’ll definitely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is a transcendent player and personality that, like Jordan, forces you to stop everything your doing just to watch him play. I’ve yet to see him play in person. But, when I do, best believe I’ll have my camera out, ready to capture the pre-game King James powder shower spectacle. That is, of course, if I can afford to sit close enough!
Photo by Noah Graham:NBAE via Getty Images
Nuggets 126, Lakers 113: The Nuggets were without Carmelo Anthony in Los Angeles facing a Laker team that was determined to make up for the trouncing Denver gave them early in the season. Kobe Bryant in his Zoom Kobe V: Bruce Lees came out the gate on fire racking up 20 points with 9 minutes to go in the second quarter. Lakers led at the half 64-59. Little did the Lakers know but Chauncey Billups was about to GO OFF!! Billups scored 21 points in the third quarter alone, the most against the Lakers in one period since Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers had 23 in a game in February 1966. Chauncey hit three consecutive 3s to give Denver an 84-83 lead, its first since late in the second quarter. He hit his ninth 3 about 35 seconds later finishing with a career high 39 points and 8 assists. Denver shot 15-22 from deep, and not even the mighty Lakers can beat that.
The Nuggets improved to 2-0 against the Lakers this season, winning by a combined margin of 39 points. In the first matchup Billups had only 6 points on 1-8 shooting. This was the first regular season win in Los Angeles for the Nuggets since April 3, 2007. “We are 2-0 this season, and the Lakers are still best team in Western Conference, World Champs, feel like we can compete with them” Billups said.
Photo by Noah Graham:NBAE via Getty Images
The Nuggets bench outscored the Lakers bench 47-37, highlighted by 27 from J.R. Smith. “Huge, to win on their court…we got unbelievable hot, domino effect” Smith said via twitter.
The Lakers are the best team in basketball, but nagging injuries to Kobe Bryant could be something that could lead to trouble down the road. The importance of home-court advantage may come at the risk of a hobbled Bryant who has a pain threshold unlike any mortal, but isn’t as young as he used to be. Carmelo Anthony for example has sat out the last 7 games with an ankle injury similar to Bryants watching his team go 5-2 without him.
Oh, and Ron almost forgot where he was when Joey Graham fouled him hard under the basket.
Nike created this look for the V to assuage Kobe’s affinity for Kung Fu(who knew?). The yellow upper and laces allude to the yellow bodysuit Bruce Lee wore in “The Game of Death” and is, of course, fitting for the Lakers. There are also four red scratch marks on the lateral toe area. These marks duplicate the scratches Bruce Lee took while fighting in “Enter the Dragon”.
The Bruce Lee Kobe Vs will be a Spring/Summer 2010 global release. They are, however, available now at select spots across the nation for a hefty price.
Celtics-Lakers face off on Sunday, in what is in many ways a MUST win for Boston who has a lot to prove to not only themselves but the rest of the league. Paul Pierce knows that his team has been struggling but always looks forward to the Lakers coming to town.
“It’s always a big deal. It is for me,” the Los Angeles native and longtime Celtics forward said. “We feel like it’s a must-win. These are teams we’re going to see in the playoffs so we’re giving them psychological edge right now. That’s not something that you’re going to be able to turn on once the playoffs start. So we’ve got to turn it around right now.” The Celtics (29-15) are in a rut unlike any they’ve seen since assembling the New Big Three in the summer of 2007. They have lost five of their last seven and 10 of their last 16 since beating Orlando on Christmas Day, including back-to-back losses to the Magic and Atlanta Hawks. That makes Sunday’s matchup of the last two NBA champions Boston’s third game in four days — all of them against top teams in the league. “Yeah, and the Lakers are the cherry on the top for us!” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s still fun to play these games, because they’re good teams and you enjoy playing them. There’s no love lost, and all that stuff’s good. It’s good for our league. But more importantly, it’s just fun in the middle of the season to have days like this.”
One of the more puzzling aspects of Boston’s slump is its home record. While their road mark is one of the best in the NBA — even after the recent road swing that dropped them to 16-8 — the Celtics have struggled at home, going 13-7; in their title-winning season of 2007-08, they lost only six home games all year. When the Lakers won in Philadelphia on Friday for their third straight victory, guard Kobe Bryant(notes) was keeping one eye on the Celtics. Noting their struggles against Orlando and Atlanta, he predicted that they will have things turned around by the time their archrivals arrive.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they answer that challenge,” Bryant said. “Every time we go back to Boston, it’s special, because that’s where we lost the (2008) championship. All those memories come back.” With 47 points Sunday—a total he’s hit 29 times in his career in the regular season, but never against Boston—he would pass Jerry West as the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer.
