Archive for the ‘Indiana Pacers’ Category

4-Way Trade: Rockets, Hornets, Pacers, Nets

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Posted 11 Aug 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets

Trevor Ariza was sent to the New Orleans Hornets and Darren Collison to the Indiana Pacers in a four-team, five-player trade Wednesday. In the trade, the Houston Rockets sent Ariza to the Hornets, who in turn sent Collison and James Posey to the Pacers.The Pacers sent Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets. And the Nets sent Courtney Lee to the Rockets.

Breakdown:

Darren Collison leaving the Hornets shows Chris Paul the organization is serious about keeping him. The addition of Ariza betters their core, but will this make CP3 happy? Hornets  also have completed trade of forward Julian Wright to Raptors for guard Marco Bellineli.

I like the Rockets this year. If Yao is healthy of course, then I love the Rockets. By trading Ariza for Courtney Lee, it breaks up the front court log jam and gives them a solid young guard. Essentially they just re-shuffled their overall team depth, which is strong, and cut $5 mill off the payroll. What could Morey be up too? This deal saves the Rockets $28 million on the life of the contract and roughly $10 million (when you factor in luxury tax payments) this season. Rockets also got $6 million trade exception. This team knows how to run a business. SALARY DUMP!

The Pacers wake up from the dead with this move. They have that much needed point guard in Collison, and are set up nicely for the summer of 11′ and 12′. The Pacers did take on the last two years and $13 million of Posey’s contract, but the deal also sliced another $4 million off the team’s overall payroll.

The Nets getting Troy Murphy gives them a ton of height. Not sure how all the Nets pieces will fit together, but Avery Johnson will figure it out. Murphy is also on the last year of his contract, which could make him an important trading chip for the Nets at the 2011 trade deadline.

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2010-2011 National TV NBA Schedule!

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Posted 10 Aug 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

Both games between the NBA champion Lakers and the Miami Heat, led by their All-Star triumvirate of Chris Bosh, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, will air nationally. The Lakers host the Heat on Christmas Day on ABC (5 p.m. ET), with the Heat hosting in Miami on March 10 on TNT (8 p.m. ET).

One of the league’s most experienced and battle-tested teams matches up against one of its youngest and most explosive squads on Nov. 19, when Boston’s quintet of stars – Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo – hosts reigning scoring champion Kevin Durant, emerging star Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).

TNT’s Thanksgiving night doubleheader will begin with All-Stars Joe Johnson and Al Horford leading the Hawks against the Washington Wizards and John Wall, the top overall selection in the 2010 NBA Draft (8 p.m. ET). The second game features Blake Griffin, last year’s top overall selection, and the Los Angeles Clippers hosting reigning T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and the Sacramento Kings (10:30 p.m. ET).

In James’ first visit to Cleveland as an opposing player, the Heat takes on Antawn Jamison and the Cavaliers on Dec. 2 (TNT, 8 p.m. ET).

Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey on Houston Sports Radio 610:

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In one of the league’s best rivalries, All-Stars Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony lead the Denver Nuggets when hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on Friday, Jan. 21 (ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET).

The Orlando Magic, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and star guard Jameer Nelson, hosts All-Star Derrick Rose and the new-look Chicago Bulls, including star forward Carlos Boozer, on March 4 (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).

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2010 NBA Draft Recap

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Posted 26 Jun 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

The Madison Square Garden Theater was ready for draft night as early as 4 am, when fans begin to line up to assure they had a seat when the $15 tickets went on sale at 11 am. Fans from across the country were in attendance to cheer for their respective teams, and boo Commissioner David Stern every time he walked out to the podium. The Chicago Bulls stole some of the early shine by proposing the trade of Kirk Hinrich to the Wizards. Not to be outdone by the Bulls, the Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen decided to part ways with GM Kevin Pritchard on draft night, but let him still make draft decisions….?  The 2010 NBA Draft went pretty much as expected early, with the exception of the Utah Jazz stealing Gordon Hayward from the Pacers. The University of Kentucky set a record with 5 first round selections.

Here is a break-down of pick #1-#15:

First pick, Washington Wizards: John Wall, 6-4, 195, Kentucky, point guard.: The lock No. 1 pick, Wall has been called the most electrifying player in this year’s draft. A product of the John Calipari one-and-done mold, Wall averaged 16 points, six boards and four dimes. Wall brings the Wizards superior speed, athleticism, and late-game shot making, plus a relief from the circus of last year.

Second pick, Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner, 6-7, 205, Ohio State, guard. There was nothing Turner didn’t do for Ohio State, and he’s the most dynamic player in the draft. He averaged 20 points, 9 boards, and 6 dimes last season. With a good game around the basket and a solid midrange shot, Turner only needs to work on his outside shooting and ball handling. He shot 36% from three-point range and turned the ball over 4.4 times per game. Doug Collins new head coach of the 76ers gets another chance to coach a future superstar as he did in Chicago with MJ.

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The Garden’s Greatest Villian!!

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Posted 26 Feb 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Indiana Pacers, NBA, New York Knicks

I have been a BIG Reggie Miller fan for years. When everyone was “Trying to be like Mike” I was wearing stripped wristbands and firing three’s with the skinniest arms ever. Other NBA players have had documentaries and now the “Gardens Greatest Villain” has one.

The film, “Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks” directed by Peabody winner Dan Klores played tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse. The film is part of ESPN’s “30 for 30″ series and will be shown March 14th on ESPN. Action centers on the seven-game 1995 playoff series between the Pacers and Knicks. Getting some co-starring screen time: Spike Lee, Pat Riley and Larry Brown.

“Winning Time” is a tightly woven 68 minutes. There are clever transitions from video, to still photographs of the same exact moment and posture. The interviews are so strong, and so numerous, that there’s isn’t any voiceover — none is required. Instead there is powerful music, and testimony of dozens of people who lived those moments, from Patrick Ewing and John Starks to Donnie Walsh and Mark Jackson. (One of the showier moments is when countless on-camera sources, all in a row, say the phrase “presence of mind,” one after another like machine gun fire, in telling the story of Miller’s stepping back behind the 3-point line after getting the steal that made him famous in New York. You know how many interviews you have to do about one subject to get that many people to use the same exact phrase?) Miller is one of the NBA’s most notorious trash talkers and on-court actors, the sort of player you want to see humiliated if he’s playing against your team, but who you loved if you happen to be a Pacers’ fan.

Klores doesn’t have unlimited material to work with, when focusing on the 1994 and 1995 playoff games, but he makes the most out of the available game footage and pre and post-game interviews, cropping game footage, zooming in on game footage, playing and replaying images in slow motion. Then Klores has access to all of the main stars from those great showdowns and many of them seem surprisingly comfortable with the “Crazy Love” filmmaker. Patrick Ewing and John Starks, often considered difficult interviews or personalities, crack jokes and pull no punches. Miller is funny and self-effacing on his own, but the documentary really comes into its own when Spike Lee shows up to talk about his role in the 1994 Game Five, in which the “Do the Right Thing” director did the wrong thing and, with his sideline jabbering, lit a fire under Miller. There’s at least minor disappointment that Klores didn’t find a way to get Reggie and Spike together in the same room for a sit-down, but they might as well be together as they go back-and-forth with their different, coy interpretations of that evening.

It’ll be on ESPN in March (part of the 30 for 30 documentary series).

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The Truth Sports: NBA Monday 2/22 Recap!

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Posted 23 Feb 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

The Truth Sports has been under the weather following the NBA Trade deadline. My Trade fever had run high and I was in need of salary cap relief. The Knicks got the 7-time All-Star Tracy McGrady for draft picks and players that no one would miss. The performance Tracy McGrady put on against the Thunder on Saturday (26 points on 10-17 shooting), nearly made us relapse.

The Knicks on Monday looked the way we thought they would look on Saturday. What a relief to Rockets fans. *(Speaking of Rockets fans):

Bill Simmons talks with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey about the Rockets’ moves at the trade deadline, the outlook for the team this season and beyond and more.

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Milauakee  83, New York 67

The Knicks played as if they were all unfamiliar with each other. Which isn’t surprising seeing how they all are…I’m not talking to you Chris Duhon!  Making matters worse, McGrady said he banged knees a couple of times and wasn’t sure he would play Tuesday in Boston. This was only his eighth game this season after returning from knee surgery. McGrady scored 15 points, but shot only 5-of-14. He wasn’t alone in struggling, as the team hit just 33.8 percent from the field in its season-high seventh straight loss. ”Hopefully it’s not sore tomorrow,” he said. “I may lace them up and play tomorrow, but we’ll see.” said McGrady. Knicks play 17 of their last 26 games on the road, which makes bonding even a greater challenge this late in the season.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

On a positive note the Knicks celebrated the 40th anniversary of their 1970 NBA championship team at halftime. Willis Reed came out last, just as he did in returning from injury to help New York beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7. “The memories abound and astound,” Hall of Fame guard Walt Frazier told the crowd.

Chicago 95, Washington 101

Andray Blatche scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Wizards to a 101-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Blatche, averaging 25 points in the four games since Jamison and Butler were traded, helped Washington to its first three-game home winning streak since April 4-12, 2008, thats right 3 game home winning streak. He also made all nine of his free throws. ”I feel like a leader. I feel like I’m leading my team in the right direction,” Blatche said. Blatche’s contributions were needed because Washington played most of the game without Josh Howard. Howard collided with Chicago’s Flip Murray with 4:23 to play in the first quarter. Howard was helped off the court and suffered a strained left knee. He’ll be reevaluated Tuesday. Howard has joined with Blatche, and Al Thorton to provide lost of offensive spark since the trades. Washington is 3-1 since. The Bulls newest members hakim Warrick, and Flip Murray combinded for 28 off the bench. The lost of John Salmons had not shown any negative signs till tonight when every started not named Derrick shot 10-32 from the field.

Indiana 82, Dallas 91

Brendan Haywood tied his career high with 20 rebounds and the Mavericks improved to 4-0 with him as their starting center. The Mavericks, whose four-game winning streak is their longest in two months, have held all five opponents since the trade to less than 100 points after the previous eight broke that mark. Dirk led all scores with 23. The Pacers put up 125 on Sunday against the Rockets with their best player Danny Granger scoring 36 points. He didnt play against Dallas, thus the Pacers lost. “Granger obviously is their go-to guy and he always makes big shots, so we definitely caught a break that he wasn’t here,” Nowitzki said. Without Granger, the Pacers shot 26 percent in the first quarter and 37 percent for the game. Despite plenty of open 3-pointers, Indiana shot a season-low 13 percent (3 of 23) from beyond the arc. Indiana is 1-8 against Southwest Division teams, ouch!

Atlanta 105, Utah 100

hoto by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images

The game of the night! The Hawks hadn’t won in Utah since Feb. 13, 1993. 17 years and 9 days later, they got the win. Joe Johnson finished with 28, and a big 3 with 2:28 left that gave the Hawks a wide enough margin to close it out. “The streak was brought to our attention before the game, so we wanted to come out early and establish ourselves,” Johnson said. “We wanted to make sure they knew it wasn’t going to be the same type of game they are used to seeing out of us.” The Jazz were playing without Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko, allowing the Hawks to shoot 54 percent. It was Utah’s second loss in 15 games, arguably one of the hottest teams right now. Beyond snapping a 15-game road losing streak in Utah, the win clinched Atlanta’s first season series sweep of the Jazz since the 1992-93 season.

Charlotte 94, Los Angeles 98

We were really rooting for the Bobcats. The trade for Stephen Jackson early in the season was huge, and the acquisition of Tyrus Thomas before the trade deadline seem to also be a positive. But the Bobcats are 3-6 this month, after going 12-4 in January to put themselves in contention for their first playoff berth in the franchise’s six-year history. They slipped into a tie with Milwaukee in the race for the eighth and final seed at 27-28. The lost to the Clippers was due solely to Stephen jackson who went 1-16 from the field, finishing with 7 points. Jackson, the team’s leading scorer in 10 of the previous 12 games, had scored 30 or more points in eight of the last 25 contests. It was the first time the league’s 11th leading scorer failed to reach double digits in 46 games since the Bobcats acquired him on Nov. 16. The Clippers improved to 2-5 under interim coach Kim Hughes. Great job Kim!


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The Truth Sports: NBA 2010 All-Star Game Guide!

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Posted 08 Feb 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

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.

NBA Attendance Records
REGULAR SEASON
62,046 Chicago vs. Atlanta March 27, 1998 Georgia Dome, Atlanta
PLAYOFFS
41,732 LA Lakers at Detroit June 16, 1988 Silverdome, Pontiac, Mich. (NBA Finals Game 5)
ALL-STAR GAME
44,735 East vs. West Feb. 12, 1989 Houston Astrodome

ALL-STAR WEEK SCHEDULE

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.

2010 SPRITE SLAM DUNK COMPETITORS
Participant Team Pos. Ht. Wt.
Shannon Brown L.A. Lakers G 6-4 205
Gerald Wallace Charlotte F 6-7 220
Nate Robinson New York* G 5-9 180
DeMar DeRozan Toronto** G 6-7 220
Eric Gordon L.A. Clippers** G 6-3 222

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.

2010 FOOT LOCKER THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT PARTICIPANTS
*2009-10          Season Career
Player Made Att. % Made Att. %
Chauncey Billups, Denver 88 212 .415 1,520 3,904 .389
Daequan Cook, Miami 27 90 .300 259 723 .358
Stephen Curry, Golden State 78 182 .429 78 180 .429
Channing Frye, Phoenix 119 272 .438 139 342 .406
Danilo Gallinari, New York 126 313 .403 158 385 .410
Paul Pierce, Boston 77 165 .467 1,435 3,878 .370

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,

The Truth Sports: NBA 11-Game Wednesday Re-Cap

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Posted 28 Jan 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

Nuggets 97 Rockets 92: The Nuggets won for the second straight time without Carmelo Anthony, the NBA’s second-leading scorer, who sat out with a sprained left ankle. The Rockets lost for the eighth time in 12 games, despite yet another dominating start. Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith were enough to beat the sputtering Rockets who have lost a bit of the intensity they had early in the season. Not to point the finger but Trevor Ariza is shooting 13-45 over the three game skid.

Hawks 90 Spurs 105: An old dog never loses its tricks and the Spurs used everyone of those tricks on display in a trouncing of Atlanta. Tim Duncan grabbed a career-high 27 rebounds and scored 21 points, and the San Antonio Spurs ended their three-game slide with a 105-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. It was the first 20-20 game since 2005 for Duncan, who bested his previous career rebounding high of 25, set against Miami in 2003. Jamal Crawford earned his 23rd career 4-point play. Now just one behind Reggie Miller’s NBA record. Whwn the Hawks win and lose BIG!

Lakers 118 Pacers 96: Bynum scored 22 points in the first half. Kobe Bryant took over in the second half and finished with a game-high 29 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists. Bynum finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Indiana decided to go small and it failed. Times have been rough in Indiana, for basketball at least. The Indianapolis Colts are playing in the Super Bowl next Sunday! Los Angeles doesn’t even have a football team, so…small victories.

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Bulls 96 Thunder 86: Derrick Rose scored 26 points, Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds and the Bulls held the Oklahoma City without a field goal for the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter on their way to a 96-86 victory on Wednesday night. The Truth Sports knew the Del Negro ship would stay afloat. It was Chicago’s fourth straight win — all on the road — after starting the season 4-15 away from the United Center. The Bulls — fresh off wins at Phoenix, Houston and San Antonio — improved to 22-22, returning to .500 for the first time since they were 6-6 on Nov. 21. A disappointing 3 game losing streak that gets tested Friday against the Nuggets….good luck

Heat 103 Raptors 111: Chris Bosh had 24 points and a season-high 18 rebounds,Andrea Bargnani scored 27 points and Raptors played another solid game after beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

“We put (the Lakers game) behind us,” Bosh said. “One thing about a big win, you don’t want to beat a good team and then come back and have a poor performance. You always want to keep the momentum going and I think we’re building some good resistance at home.” Dwyane Wade had 35 points and 10 assists and former Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal scored 22 for Miami, which lost Michael Beasley to a right knee injury. The injury may keep him out of Heats next game against Detroit. Bosh is the onlyRaptors player to start all 46 games this season, and even more appealing to the Heat, and the Rockets, and the…….

Timberwolves 95 Cavaliers 109: Cavs are 9-0 at home against Western Conference teams, if you consider the Timberwolves a team. Just kidding, but this one was a no-brainer. LeBron is dancing in the highlights, and thats never a good sign.

Grizzlies 99 Pistons 93:  The Pistons 11-19 (57.9%) free-throw shooting was the only negative output of the game, unfortunately the Grizzlies shot 26-28 (92.9%) from the stripe. The Grizzlies have passed all the wins they had all last season(24). Ben Gordon (groin) missed his 19th game of the season, and Will Bynum (ankle) also sat out for Detroit.

76ers 88 Bucks 91: This game was not watched, yet it was played. Brandon Jennings scored 18 points, hitting a 12-footer with 22 seconds left, and the Bucks held on for a 91-88 win on Wednesday night after the Sixers missed three shots to tie in the final 11 seconds. Iverson finished with six points, all in the first half.

Jazz 106 Trailblazers 95: Here are some mismatch numbers. The Jazz had 19 turnovers the Blazers had 9. Utah shot 60.3 percent from the field, hitting 38 of 63 shots. Portland shot 36.3 percent (33 of 91). Utah led by as many as 26 points during the first half. The Jazz won for the eighth time in nine games and took over second place in the Northwest Division. Carlos Boozer, who scored 14 points, left the game early in the third quarter with a right calf strain and did not return. Can you hear the money slipping through Boozers fingers. It sounds like when Sonic loses his rings.

Hornets 123 Warriors 110: Did you know Stephen Curry is 5th in steals per game, crazy right? Chris Paul scored 38 points to lead five New Orleans starters in double figures. Paul shot 14 for 19 from the field, made all nine of his free-throw tries, dished out nine assists and grabbed six rebounds. Paul is a lock for All-Star reserve.  Monta Ellis returned for Golden State after missing the past two games with a sprained right ankle and had 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds. He had been averaging 30.7 points over his previous 16 outings. Hope this doesn’t hurt Monta’s chances of making it to the All-Star Game as a reserve. The roster is to be announced tomorrow.

AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT!!!

NETS WIN!!! NOW THE STRIVE FOR 5!


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Jamal Crawford from DEEP & Friday Re-Cap!

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Posted 16 Jan 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns

13 games on the schedule Friday night for the NBA. 2 good games(Suns-Hawks, and Thunder- Mavs) the rest were passable.

The Phoenix Suns have almost set. Phoenix is 10-13 after beginning the season 14-3. They started hot early against Atlanta, but Atlanta in their roller-coaster fashion fought back to within 2, 101-99. Jamal Crawford take it away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PIYe0agdKg

Jamal Crawford has been coming up BIG for the Hawks off the bench, and looks to make it to the playoffs for the first time in his 10-year career. The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak against the Suns. *Note that is Jared Dudley getting J’d on!

The Oklahoma City Thunder had 8 wins by the 18th of January last season.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

This year they have already won 21 games. Much of the success of the Thunder falls heavily on Kevin Durant, who is an early  candidate for MVP. Against the Mavs he did his 30 point thing again which is his 18th time this season and 10th time in the last 12 games. But the final score Mavs 99- Thunder 98, was another one point loss to a Texas team. The Thunder lost on Wednesday to the Spurs 109-108. Cutting down on turnovers is the BIGGEST key to the Thunder growth. Kevin Durant is 3rd in the NBA in points per game(behind Lebron and Carmelo) and turnovers. Jason Kidd hit two 3-pointers and moved into a tie for fifth with Glen Rice on the all-time list with 1,559. Thats right Jason Kidd actually has made 1,559 three-pointers!

The New Jersey Nets lost to the Indiana pacers Friday night puts their losing streak at 7. They can add the 18, and 10 game losing streaks to that number. Their record sits at 3-36. Kiki Vandeweghe who took over as coach after the 0-18 streak, is 3-18. Great Job Kiki!! The Nets are now edging closer to the 1972 Philadelphia 76ers who won 9 games all season.The  76ers began the season with 15 straight losses(sound familiar), and also recorded losing streaks of 20, 14, and finally 13 to end the season. But Philly also proved it could win, taking a remarkable two in row and four of six in February. The Sixers finished 59 games behind the Celtics in the Eastern Division. The Nets are already 26 games behind the Celtics right now.

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The Truth Sports: NBA 2010 Resolutions!

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Posted 01 Jan 2010 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

The NBA season is far from over, but the year has changed and each team has resolutions to make them better this year. Here is a team by team look at those resolutions.

ATLANTA HAWKS

We resolve to avoid the Cleveland Cavaliers at all cost. Continue playing roller-caster basketball and make fans happy by making playoffs and losing in first round. Also to do whatever possible to keep Joe Johnson at the end of the season!

BOSTON CELTICS

We resolve to continue making Rajon Rondo’s head swell with self-esteem, prescribe Rasheed Wallace some mood-stabilizers and keep everyone healthy come playoff time. We are the only kryptonite to the Los Angeles Lakers.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

We resolve to get Tyson Chandler, DeSagana Diop, or Nazr Mohammed off the team. Keep Gerald Wallace happy, and cut down on turnovers.

CHICAGO BULLS

We are young and inexperienced, so we resolve to grow up fast, or get ready to say goodbye to Coach Del Negro.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

2010 has sadly arrived and we resolve to lighten the disappointment to our fans when Duke James decides to play elsewhere next season.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

We resolve to let the past not continue to haunt us. We also resolve to assist Dirk Nowitzki, and Jason Terry by scoring points.

DETROIT PISTONS

I, Joe Dumars resolve to let the team we have now continue to play together, and let Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and Ben Gordon all get healthy so we can make the playoffs.

DENVER NUGGETS

We resolve to make George Karl happy, and play defense, every game, not just against the good teams.

GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS

We the Golden St. Warriors fans resolve to continue rooting for the Warriors even though they will never be any better then they are right now, and could someone make Monta Ellis show smile.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

I, Yao Ming resolve to return to the team at the beginning of next season, even though it seems they don’t need me.

INDIANA PACERS

We resolve to stop regretting the drafting of Tyler Hansbrough, and play defense once and a while.

L.A. CLIPPERS

I, Donald Sterling resolve to continue not caring if the Clippers win or lose. My only concern is more money. Years change but the Clippers will remain the same.

L.A. LAKERS

We resolve to add handrails to all staircases in and around Staples Center. We also resolve to let Andrew Bynum get a pass on his play as long as he doesn’t complain about Pau Gasol stealing all his limelight.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

We resolve to re-sign Rudy Gay, and continue to re-build until we move to another city.

MIAMI HEAT

I, Dwayne Wade resolve to continue playing like a MVP, unless I don’t get any help, then I’m outta here!

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

We resolve to continue building around Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut. We also resolve to never let Charlie Bell hold Kobe Bryant one-on-one at the end of games.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

We resolve to move on from the Ricky Rubio hype, and focus on the talent we have.

NEW JERSEY NETS

I, the borough of Brooklyn resolve to not judge the team that is headed our way. If Jay-Z likes them, we like them too.

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

We resolve to prepare the fans for the departure of Chris Paul, and explain that Darren Collison is indeed the future of the team.

NEW YORK KNICKS

I, Knicks fan, resolve to pray each and every night that Lebron James and friends come to the Knicks. Its our only hope!

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

We resolve to continue playing well, and growing, and not wearing Kevin Durant’s sneakers, because they are bad luck.

ORLANDO MAGIC

I, Dwight Howard resolve to demand the ball more often, and to hold Stan Van Gundy to his word regarding his behavior.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

We resolve to not rely solely on any player with the initials A.I.. Also we resolve to throw out the Princeton offense, which obviously isn’t working.

PHOENIX SUNS

I, Steve Nash resolve to play for the Suns for the rest of my life, and to continue making each and every game fun for everyone.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

I, the Rose Garden resolve to break the curse that has been put on me, causing everyone on the team to get hurt!

SACRAMENTO KINGS

We resolve to play each game like it matters, and to keep pleading with the Maloof brothers to move us to Las Vegas.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

We resolve to actually start preparing for Tim Duncans retirement, and to let Richard Jefferson know he can shoot the ball.

TORONTO RAPTORS

I, Chris Bosh resolve to play hard through the rest of the season, then get the hell out of Canada.

UTAH JAZZ

We resolve to continue resarching a machine that can hook up to Jerry Sloan that allows him to coach forever!

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

We resolve to add metal detectors at all entrances to the Verizon Center, and find someone to be Gilbert Arenas’s friend.

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First Returns-2010 NBA All-Star Game

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Posted 10 Dec 2009 — by T.T.S.
Category Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden St. Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards

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Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets top the Western Conference, while Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference after the first returns of 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile. Bryant, who shared All-Star MVP honors with Shaquille O’Neal last season, is the overall leader with 692,518 votes.

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 — the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game — on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010.

In the Western Conference, Bryant, a three-time All-Star MVP, is followed at guard by the Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady (281,545) who hasn’t played at all this season. Anthony, the league’s leading scorer, paces forwards in the West (588,958) with the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki (366,300) second. The Phoenix Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire (447,776) is the leading vote-getter among Western Conference centers, with the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum (299,484) following.

Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 649,327; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 533,187; Chris Bosh (Tor) 303,550; Paul Pierce (Bos) 131,379; Josh Smith (Atl) 109,404; Danny Granger (Ind) 100,122; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 75,146; Michael Beasley (Mia) 58,461; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 55,416; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 46,073; Luol Deng (Chi) 37,428.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 672,227; Vince Carter (Orl) 292,002; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 212,526; Ray Allen (Bos) 208,276 Derrick Rose (Chi) 196,059; Allen Iverson (Phi) 136,976*; Joe Johnson (Atl) 118,964; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 113,371; Jose Calderon (Tor) 68,084; Mike Bibby (Atl) 48,935.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 625,279; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 206,657; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 67,310; Al Horford (Atl) 52,747; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 45,920; Brook Lopez (NJ) 39,420; Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 38,956; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 36,855; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 19,408; Brad Miller (Chi) 17,188; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 14,062; Samuel Dalembert, (Phi) 13,969.

Western Conference

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 588,958; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 366,300; Pau Gasol (LAL) 280,758; Tim Duncan (SA) 271,321; Kevin Durant (OKC) 177,205; Trevor Ariza (Hou) 168,167; Shawn Marion (Dal) 161,653; Luis Scola (Hou) 134,321; Ron Artest (LAL) 99,209; Lamar Odom (LAL) 85,817; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 70,588.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 692,518; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 281,545; Steve Nash (Pho) 272,135; Chris Paul (NO) 248,049; Jason Kidd (Dal) 207,247; Jason Terry (Dal) 131,422; Aaron Brooks (Hou) 131,167; Chauncey Billups (Den) 112,509; Brandon Roy (Por) 106,416; Deron Williams (Utah) 94,715; Manu Ginobili (SA) 75,392.

Centers: Amar’e Stoudemire (Pho) 447,776; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 299,484; Nene (Den) 90,439; Marc Gasol (Mem) 75,765; Greg Oden (Por) 73,874; Al Jefferson (Min) 48,676; Antonio McDyess (SA) 46,323; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 35,606; Marcus Camby (LAC) 35,471; Andris Biedrins (GS) 28,287; Emeka Okafor (NO) 19,827; Spencer Hawes (Sac) 10,733.

*While Allen Iverson appears among Western Conference guards on the paper ballot because he began the season with Memphis, his votes will count toward the Eastern Conference guards due to his signing with Philadelphia Dec. 3.

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