Remember when we thought this condensed season would belong to the teams with young legs?
Well, it's April, and the two hottest teams in their respective conferences are the veteran San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics, who each reach new highs in this week's Power Rankings.
The Spurs are doing it with offense, taking the No. 1 ranking in offensive efficiency from the Thunder over the weekend. They've scored a ridiculously efficient 114 points per 100 possessions on their 11-game winning streak, without one guy really who's really caught fire.
The Celtics are doing it on the other end. Get this: Boston has the fifth-worst offense, but the second-best point differential in the last three weeks. They've gone 9-3 in that time, allowing less than 90 points per 100 possessions, which is pretty unbelievable.
Of course, while we tend to think of the Spurs and Celtics as old teams, youth has been a key for both squads this season. Guys like Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma have been critical for Boston, while the Spurs have several young(ish) guys playing meaningful minutes.
Sabtu, 14 April 2012
Senin, 09 April 2012
Spurs 114, Jazz 104
Tony Parker scored 28 points, including all 10 tries from the foul line, and Manu Ginobili went for 23 points with 14-of-15 free throws as the San Antonio Spurs won their 11th-straight game with a 114-104 decision over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at AT&T Center.
The West-leading Spurs (40-14) matched the league's longest win streak of the season -- San Antonio also won 11 in a row from Jan. 30-Feb. 20 -- and shot better than 50 percent for the third-straight home game (50.7 percent).
Utah (29-28) got double-doubles from Al Jefferson (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Derrick Favors (14 and 12), but dropped to 1 1/2 games behind Denver for the final playoff spot.
"(Parker and Tim Duncan) have been on the same page for a long time. That's the key why we're now No. 1 in the West. Tony has been unbelievable the whole season. TD in the last 30 games has been playing great, so it's about time for me to join in. I'm starting to feel better."
-- Ginobili.
Parker, Ginobili and Duncan scored 23 of the final 25 points for the Spurs. Duncan had a double-double for the night (13 points, 16 rebounds).
The Spurs easily surpassed a season-high for free-throw attempts, hitting 38-of-43 tries for 88 percent. The Jazz faltered at the line, hitting 16-of-26, and even though they put up 24 more shots from the floor (93 to 69) they still lost.
The Spurs led by as much as 19 points in the first half, but Utah cut it to single digits when Favors scored inside the paint to make it 93-84 with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Spurs responded with a 10-2 run over the next the next three minutes. Utah was 4-of-11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
"We had a chance, and the free throws cost us a little bit in a tight ball game. We pulled to about seven or eight points (behind the Spurs) then we missed four or five in a row. That hurts you."
-- Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin.
You have to go back 10 games to find when Ginobili had missed a free throw. But he only took 12 free throws in that stretch. He missed tonight, but he went 14-of-15. That's the most free-throw attempts for him this season the next highest being eight on opening night.
Paul Millsap went 1-of-8 from the floor until finally being sat down on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Favors was 7-of-10 from the floor, including 4-of-5 in the fourth quarter in place of Millsap.
Ginobili scored 23 points and had five rebounds. It's his first time to hit the 20-point mark since March 28. It's only his third time in 20 points in the last 14 games.
Boris Diaw was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time since the contract buyout in Charlotte cleared him to come to the Spurs. He hit 4-of-5 shots for nine points, but he took a hit by engaging in Utah's physical play. He fouled out, the first disqualification for the Spurs this season.
When the Jazz lost Earl Watson to right knee soreness in the first half, it forced Utah to spend most of the rest of the game using Devin Harris to guard Parker. It was a glaring mismatch late when Parker drove in for two layups in the final two minutes after the Jazz had cut the Spurs' lead to eight points.
Kawhi Leonard hit 3-of-4 shots for six points, had four rebounds, a block and a steal in 26 1/2 minutes. Alec Burks was 1-of-5 and had three turnovers. Enes Kanter played 10 minutes and had three fouls.
Besides Watson, Utah had to sit C.J. Miles in the first half after he sustained a left calf strain. ...There were three technical fouls in the game (Gregg Popovich, Millsap, Duncan), all for arguing calls. ... Jamaal Tinsley was called for a clear-path foul in the fourth quarter when he shoved Parker from the side as Parker was beginning to head down the court with a steal. ... These teams play again Monday in Utah, and the Spurs will be going for a series sweep, having won all three meetings so far this season.
The West-leading Spurs (40-14) matched the league's longest win streak of the season -- San Antonio also won 11 in a row from Jan. 30-Feb. 20 -- and shot better than 50 percent for the third-straight home game (50.7 percent).
Utah (29-28) got double-doubles from Al Jefferson (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Derrick Favors (14 and 12), but dropped to 1 1/2 games behind Denver for the final playoff spot.
"(Parker and Tim Duncan) have been on the same page for a long time. That's the key why we're now No. 1 in the West. Tony has been unbelievable the whole season. TD in the last 30 games has been playing great, so it's about time for me to join in. I'm starting to feel better."
-- Ginobili.
Parker, Ginobili and Duncan scored 23 of the final 25 points for the Spurs. Duncan had a double-double for the night (13 points, 16 rebounds).
The Spurs easily surpassed a season-high for free-throw attempts, hitting 38-of-43 tries for 88 percent. The Jazz faltered at the line, hitting 16-of-26, and even though they put up 24 more shots from the floor (93 to 69) they still lost.
The Spurs led by as much as 19 points in the first half, but Utah cut it to single digits when Favors scored inside the paint to make it 93-84 with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Spurs responded with a 10-2 run over the next the next three minutes. Utah was 4-of-11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
"We had a chance, and the free throws cost us a little bit in a tight ball game. We pulled to about seven or eight points (behind the Spurs) then we missed four or five in a row. That hurts you."
-- Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin.
You have to go back 10 games to find when Ginobili had missed a free throw. But he only took 12 free throws in that stretch. He missed tonight, but he went 14-of-15. That's the most free-throw attempts for him this season the next highest being eight on opening night.
Paul Millsap went 1-of-8 from the floor until finally being sat down on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Favors was 7-of-10 from the floor, including 4-of-5 in the fourth quarter in place of Millsap.
Ginobili scored 23 points and had five rebounds. It's his first time to hit the 20-point mark since March 28. It's only his third time in 20 points in the last 14 games.
Boris Diaw was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time since the contract buyout in Charlotte cleared him to come to the Spurs. He hit 4-of-5 shots for nine points, but he took a hit by engaging in Utah's physical play. He fouled out, the first disqualification for the Spurs this season.
When the Jazz lost Earl Watson to right knee soreness in the first half, it forced Utah to spend most of the rest of the game using Devin Harris to guard Parker. It was a glaring mismatch late when Parker drove in for two layups in the final two minutes after the Jazz had cut the Spurs' lead to eight points.
Kawhi Leonard hit 3-of-4 shots for six points, had four rebounds, a block and a steal in 26 1/2 minutes. Alec Burks was 1-of-5 and had three turnovers. Enes Kanter played 10 minutes and had three fouls.
Besides Watson, Utah had to sit C.J. Miles in the first half after he sustained a left calf strain. ...There were three technical fouls in the game (Gregg Popovich, Millsap, Duncan), all for arguing calls. ... Jamaal Tinsley was called for a clear-path foul in the fourth quarter when he shoved Parker from the side as Parker was beginning to head down the court with a steal. ... These teams play again Monday in Utah, and the Spurs will be going for a series sweep, having won all three meetings so far this season.
Jumat, 30 Maret 2012
NBA Race To MVP Leader
Rank Player
1. Kevin Durant
2. LeBron James
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Dwight Howard
5. Dwyane Wade
6. Tony Parker
7. Kevin Love
8. Russell Westbrook
9. Chris Paul
10. Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Durant : Oklahoma City Thunder
LAST WK: 25.3 ppg | 7.3 rpg | 93.1 FT%
All of the top players on this list have endured their share of mini-struggles since the All-Star break. But in our eyes, it's more about how they respond to adversity than anything else, and Durant rebounds from his struggles as well as anyone. He followed up an ugly 6-for-22 shooting performance in a loss to Utah Tuesday with a game-high 32 points in Oklahoma City's victory over the Clippers on Wednesday. He added nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and one blocked shot. He's been locked in a tight race for the top spot all season and can hold on to it with a strong finishing kick here in the final weeks of the season.
1. Kevin Durant
2. LeBron James
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Dwight Howard
5. Dwyane Wade
6. Tony Parker
7. Kevin Love
8. Russell Westbrook
9. Chris Paul
10. Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Durant : Oklahoma City Thunder
LAST WK: 25.3 ppg | 7.3 rpg | 93.1 FT%
Kamis, 22 Maret 2012
Bucks Stop Here...Win Streak from Bucks Stopped by Celtics
Celtics 100, Bucks 91
Paul Pierce scored 25 points and the Boston defense clamped down hard in the second half as the Celtics snapped Milwaukee's six-game winning streak with a 100-91 victory over the Bucks Thursday night at the Bradley Center.
After allowing 58 first-half points, the Celtics held the Bucks (21-25) to just 33 after the intermission. Milwaukee, which had four straight games with 30 or more assists entering the night, had 17 at the half but recorded just six in the second half.
Kevin Garnett chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Bass added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 14 assists as the Celtics improved to 4-3 on their eight-game odyssey on the road.
Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 19 points but also had five of the Bucks' 15 turnovers. Ersan Ilyasova had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
"The first half they were really turning the corners off the pick-and-roll with Monta (Ellis) and (Mike) Dunleavy, so we wanted to take that away. I thought once we took that away it was to our advantage because we kept them on the perimeter instead of attacking the basket."
-- Pierce on the Celtics' halftime decision to switch on all picks.
The Celtics finished with 11 blocks, one off their season high, as they constantly kept the Bucks from getting to the basket. Reserve center Greg Stiemsma, a native of Randolph, Wis., who played at the University of Wisconsin from 2004-'08, had five of the blocks.
The Bucks the Celtics for 58 first-half points while shooting 49 percent. At halftime, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers decided to switch on every pick. The Bucks scored just 13 points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth quarter.
"We switched on everything, which we never do. I mean, we literally never do that. They were killing us in the first half. Scotty (Skiles) was running great stuff. The way we looked at it, switching couldn't have been any worse than what we normally do. That was a big change. It's unusual for us to give in that quickly, but we thought we needed to do it and I thought it made a big difference defensively for us."
Doc Rivers
Pierce made 10 of 15 shots, including all three of his 3-pointers, and Keyon Dooling, who played for the Bucks last year, went 4-for-4 off the bench for the Celtics.
After shooting 49 percent (24-for-49) in the first half, the Bucks shot just 29.3 percent (12-of-41) in the second half.
With this being the first game of the Bucks' only three-games-in-three-nights set of the season, Bucks head coach Scott Skiles cleared the bench with 1:33 left and his team down 98-87.
Not only did Stiemsma block five shots, he also had four steals and six points in 24 minutes.
Ellis had 13 points and seven assists, and Udoh finished with two points and 10 rebounds. ... Skiles was hit with a technical foul with 9:25 in the first quarter after officials missed an apparent goal-tending call when Garnett swatted Jennings' floating shot. ... Rondo drilled a half-court shot at the end of the first quarter, but it was a split-second after the horn. ... Rivers picked up a technical foul with 4:34 in the fourth quarter protesting a no-call under the basket that led to a Bucks fast break. ... The Bucks led, 58-56, at the half. It was their biggest lead of the game.
After allowing 58 first-half points, the Celtics held the Bucks (21-25) to just 33 after the intermission. Milwaukee, which had four straight games with 30 or more assists entering the night, had 17 at the half but recorded just six in the second half.
Kevin Garnett chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Bass added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 14 assists as the Celtics improved to 4-3 on their eight-game odyssey on the road.
Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 19 points but also had five of the Bucks' 15 turnovers. Ersan Ilyasova had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
"The first half they were really turning the corners off the pick-and-roll with Monta (Ellis) and (Mike) Dunleavy, so we wanted to take that away. I thought once we took that away it was to our advantage because we kept them on the perimeter instead of attacking the basket."
-- Pierce on the Celtics' halftime decision to switch on all picks.
The Celtics finished with 11 blocks, one off their season high, as they constantly kept the Bucks from getting to the basket. Reserve center Greg Stiemsma, a native of Randolph, Wis., who played at the University of Wisconsin from 2004-'08, had five of the blocks.
The Bucks the Celtics for 58 first-half points while shooting 49 percent. At halftime, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers decided to switch on every pick. The Bucks scored just 13 points in the third quarter and 20 in the fourth quarter.
"We switched on everything, which we never do. I mean, we literally never do that. They were killing us in the first half. Scotty (Skiles) was running great stuff. The way we looked at it, switching couldn't have been any worse than what we normally do. That was a big change. It's unusual for us to give in that quickly, but we thought we needed to do it and I thought it made a big difference defensively for us."
Doc Rivers
Pierce made 10 of 15 shots, including all three of his 3-pointers, and Keyon Dooling, who played for the Bucks last year, went 4-for-4 off the bench for the Celtics.
After shooting 49 percent (24-for-49) in the first half, the Bucks shot just 29.3 percent (12-of-41) in the second half.
With this being the first game of the Bucks' only three-games-in-three-nights set of the season, Bucks head coach Scott Skiles cleared the bench with 1:33 left and his team down 98-87.
Not only did Stiemsma block five shots, he also had four steals and six points in 24 minutes.
Ellis had 13 points and seven assists, and Udoh finished with two points and 10 rebounds. ... Skiles was hit with a technical foul with 9:25 in the first quarter after officials missed an apparent goal-tending call when Garnett swatted Jennings' floating shot. ... Rondo drilled a half-court shot at the end of the first quarter, but it was a split-second after the horn. ... Rivers picked up a technical foul with 4:34 in the fourth quarter protesting a no-call under the basket that led to a Bucks fast break. ... The Bucks led, 58-56, at the half. It was their biggest lead of the game.
Sabtu, 17 Maret 2012
Spurs 114, Thunder 105
Spurs 114, Thunder 105
THE FACTS: The San Antonio Spurs led by as many as 27 and never trailed but had to hold on for dear life to finally beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-105 inside a roaring Chesapeake Energy Arena. Spurs point guard Tony Parker led San Antonio with 25 points but it was second year guard Danny Green who plagued the Thunder with clutch plays and baskets coming down the stretch. Green scored 21 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter on 4-for-5 shooting. All five Spurs starters scored in double figures. Center DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 11 rebounds and forward Tim Duncan had a monster game with 16 points, 19 boards and five blocked shots. Oklahoma City rallied to cut the lead down to just two in the fourth quarter behind a 36 point night from point guard Russell Westbrook and 25 from Kevin Durant. Sixth man James Harden added 19 and Serge Ibaka had 12 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. The Thunder's lead over the Spurs in Western Conference shrinks now to just three games.
QUOTABLE: "We had a great night. Oklahoma City had a tough start. They missed some easy shots inside and couldn't get a jumper to fall so we were able to get a lead. I thought a lot of guys played well. The whole starting group played well tonight."
-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
QUOTABLE II: "Down 27 points you can't expect to come back but our guys nearly did. We should never have been down by that many. Our guys never gave up we cut it to two but Green hit a couple of big shots and made plays that were huge for them."
-- Thunder coach Scott Brooks
THE STAT: The Spurs dominated the game inside outscoring the Thunder 54-36 in the paint. OKC was outrebounded 49-37, 15 of those Spurs rebounds were on the offensive end providing them with a whopping 24 second chance points.
TURNING POINT: With the crowd roaring and the Thunder rallying to get within four points Spurs guard Danny Green stole an inbounds pass with just less than a minute left and raced down court for a slam to silence the crowd and take the wind out of the Thunder rally.
QUOTABLE III: "We came out with a big start and then were able to hold on at the end for a great win. After getting that lead it would have been devastating to lose."
-- Spurs center DeJuan Blair
QUOTABLE IV: "We assumed they were going to make their run, we were a little tired and they got it closer than we may have wanted it to get but great composure by our squad not to lose it."
-- Spurs forward Tim Duncan
HOT: With eight minutes left in the second quarter the Spurs were shooting 65.5 percent (19-for-29) and 4-for-5 (80 percent) on 3-pointers...San Antonio center DeJuan Blair was 9-for-11 (18 points) in the first half...Thunder guard James Harden was 4-for-5 in the first 24 minutes and finished 8-for-11...The Spurs were 10-for-14 on second chance shooting.
NOT: Oklahoma City started the game 0-for-6, that extended to 1-for-10 (10 percent) in the first six minutes...by halftime the Thunder had improved to just 38.6 percent (17-for-44)...Kevin Durant was 2-for-7 in the first half...
INSIDE THE ARENA: During the game the Thunder held a special auction and raffle to raise money to help people in Brazzaville, The Republic of Congo. It's the hometown of Thunder forward Serge Ibaka and was the scene of a munitions plant explosion last week that killed more than 200 people and injured almost 1,500. By the end of the game the auction had raised $16,000. Ibaka autographed the jersey he wore in the game and it sold for $5,200.
GOOD MOVE: The Thunder went on an 18-2 run from late in the third quarter into the fourth when they attacked the Spurs at the rim. But as the San Antonio lead dwindled to almost nothing the Thunder inexplicably abandoned the inside game.
QUOTABLE V: "We did a good job to attack but then I thought we settled for too many threes. When we end up taking just 20 free throws and 25 threes it's probably not a good night for us."
BAD MOVE: The Thunder apparently left their defense back in Denver Thursday night because it was nowhere to be seen in the first half Friday night. The Spurs shot 57.8 percent in the first half (5-for-6 on 3-pointers), they led by as many as 27 and never trailed.
NOTABLE: After putting together a 14-game home winning streak Oklahoma City has now lost three of its last four at home...The 65 points scored by San Antonio in the first half tied for the most scored by the Spurs in any first half this season and are the most given up in a first half by the Thunder...With the win the Spurs take the season series 2-1.
THE FACTS: The San Antonio Spurs led by as many as 27 and never trailed but had to hold on for dear life to finally beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-105 inside a roaring Chesapeake Energy Arena. Spurs point guard Tony Parker led San Antonio with 25 points but it was second year guard Danny Green who plagued the Thunder with clutch plays and baskets coming down the stretch. Green scored 21 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter on 4-for-5 shooting. All five Spurs starters scored in double figures. Center DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 11 rebounds and forward Tim Duncan had a monster game with 16 points, 19 boards and five blocked shots. Oklahoma City rallied to cut the lead down to just two in the fourth quarter behind a 36 point night from point guard Russell Westbrook and 25 from Kevin Durant. Sixth man James Harden added 19 and Serge Ibaka had 12 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. The Thunder's lead over the Spurs in Western Conference shrinks now to just three games.
QUOTABLE: "We had a great night. Oklahoma City had a tough start. They missed some easy shots inside and couldn't get a jumper to fall so we were able to get a lead. I thought a lot of guys played well. The whole starting group played well tonight."
-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
QUOTABLE II: "Down 27 points you can't expect to come back but our guys nearly did. We should never have been down by that many. Our guys never gave up we cut it to two but Green hit a couple of big shots and made plays that were huge for them."
-- Thunder coach Scott Brooks
THE STAT: The Spurs dominated the game inside outscoring the Thunder 54-36 in the paint. OKC was outrebounded 49-37, 15 of those Spurs rebounds were on the offensive end providing them with a whopping 24 second chance points.
TURNING POINT: With the crowd roaring and the Thunder rallying to get within four points Spurs guard Danny Green stole an inbounds pass with just less than a minute left and raced down court for a slam to silence the crowd and take the wind out of the Thunder rally.
QUOTABLE III: "We came out with a big start and then were able to hold on at the end for a great win. After getting that lead it would have been devastating to lose."
-- Spurs center DeJuan Blair
QUOTABLE IV: "We assumed they were going to make their run, we were a little tired and they got it closer than we may have wanted it to get but great composure by our squad not to lose it."
-- Spurs forward Tim Duncan
HOT: With eight minutes left in the second quarter the Spurs were shooting 65.5 percent (19-for-29) and 4-for-5 (80 percent) on 3-pointers...San Antonio center DeJuan Blair was 9-for-11 (18 points) in the first half...Thunder guard James Harden was 4-for-5 in the first 24 minutes and finished 8-for-11...The Spurs were 10-for-14 on second chance shooting.
NOT: Oklahoma City started the game 0-for-6, that extended to 1-for-10 (10 percent) in the first six minutes...by halftime the Thunder had improved to just 38.6 percent (17-for-44)...Kevin Durant was 2-for-7 in the first half...
INSIDE THE ARENA: During the game the Thunder held a special auction and raffle to raise money to help people in Brazzaville, The Republic of Congo. It's the hometown of Thunder forward Serge Ibaka and was the scene of a munitions plant explosion last week that killed more than 200 people and injured almost 1,500. By the end of the game the auction had raised $16,000. Ibaka autographed the jersey he wore in the game and it sold for $5,200.
GOOD MOVE: The Thunder went on an 18-2 run from late in the third quarter into the fourth when they attacked the Spurs at the rim. But as the San Antonio lead dwindled to almost nothing the Thunder inexplicably abandoned the inside game.
QUOTABLE V: "We did a good job to attack but then I thought we settled for too many threes. When we end up taking just 20 free throws and 25 threes it's probably not a good night for us."
BAD MOVE: The Thunder apparently left their defense back in Denver Thursday night because it was nowhere to be seen in the first half Friday night. The Spurs shot 57.8 percent in the first half (5-for-6 on 3-pointers), they led by as many as 27 and never trailed.
NOTABLE: After putting together a 14-game home winning streak Oklahoma City has now lost three of its last four at home...The 65 points scored by San Antonio in the first half tied for the most scored by the Spurs in any first half this season and are the most given up in a first half by the Thunder...With the win the Spurs take the season series 2-1.
Jumat, 09 Maret 2012
Magic 99, Bulls 94 : Magic Ending Bulls Streak
After trailing by 18 points early in the second quarter, the Bulls closed the half with an 18-5 run, getting 3-pointers from Kyle Korver, Luol Deng and Derrick Rose's buzzer-beater, to close within five points at halftime. The second half was tight until Ryan Anderson hit a 3-pointer to break a 91-91 tie with 1:27 remaining. The Bulls missed six straight shots before Boozer scored with just 4.4 seconds left.
"We took the loss (to Charlotte) hard. This was a big win. We wanted to show how good we are."
-- Orlando forward Anderson.
Against the best rebounding team in the league, Orlando won the board battle 49-40, including 17 offensive rebounds. The Magic had three offensive boards in the last 90 seconds of the game.
The Magic shot 75 percent in the first quarter and made 6-of-8 3-pointers to build a 37-22 lead at the break.
After trailing by 18 points early in the second quarter, the Bulls closed the half with an 18-5 run, getting late 3-pointers from Korver, Deng and Rose's buzzer-beater, to close within five points at halftime.
C.J. Watson (ankle) and Rip Hamilton (shoulder) did not play for the Bulls, although Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said Watson is getting close to returning. Orlando's Jason Richardson suffered a left knee injury with two minutes left in the game.
Bulls backup forward Taj Gibson made six of seven shots for 14 points.
Bulls forward Deng, whose shooting has been suspect since suffering a wrist injury in February, was 1-for-9 from the field.
"Kyle (Korver) had some wide open shots, his shot. I can live with that all day. He's a great shooter and had it on line. It doesn't go in. I can live with that.''
-- Thibodeau.
NOTABLE: Thursday's game was the start of a six-game homestand for the Bulls.
Jumat, 02 Maret 2012
Top plays of February : Jeremy Lin
• Jeremy Lin
• #17
• Guard
2011-12 Statistics
PPG
14.6
RPG
2.90
APG
6.1
EFF
+ 14.95
Born: Aug 23, 1988
Height: 6-3 / 1.91
Weight: 200 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Prior to NBA / Country:
Harvard / USA
Years Pro: 1
• #17
• Guard
2011-12 Statistics
PPG
14.6
RPG
2.90
APG
6.1
EFF
+ 14.95
Born: Aug 23, 1988
Height: 6-3 / 1.91
Weight: 200 lbs. / 90.7 kg.
Prior to NBA / Country:
Harvard / USA
Years Pro: 1
Kamis, 01 Maret 2012
Bryant, West hold on to win NBA All-Star game
Kobe Bryant got the scoring record, Kevin Durant the MVP, and the West got the win
Even after that duo piled up the points, the NBA All-Star game came down to a defensive play.
A bloodied Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game, Durant had 36 in an MVP performance, and Blake Griffin's interception of LeBron James' pass secured the Western Conference's 152-149 win over the East on Sunday night.
Bryant shook off Dwyane Wade's hard smack to his nose and was still on the floor to say something to James after he threw away a pass in the closing records.
"You know, you have some of the best competitors out on the floor at the same time," James said. "Not only me and Kobe, but D-Wade and Durant and (Carmelo Anthony) and (Chris Paul), and all the rest of the guys. We all wanted to win, and it came down to the last minute or last seconds."
James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds, but weren't able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Wade finished with a triple-double.
"It was fun," Durant said. "That's the type of All-Star game you want to see."
Griffin scored 22 points for the West, which rang up 88 points in the first half, setting an All-Star record. But he won the game with his defense, picking off James' pass when the East had a chance to tie in the final seconds.
"When I tried to throw it late, that's what usually happens and it results in a turnover," James said. "Definitely wish I could have that one back."
Griffin then hit one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, and Wade was off on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Jordan and James as the only players with All-Star game triple-doubles.
Bryant was bloodied by a hard foul from Wade and stayed in the game, but left to be evaluated afterward and did not speak to the media.
Durant's win left Bryant tied for the All-Star record with his four MVP awards. But he got a bigger mark in his 13th All-Star game.
He broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter and now has 271 for his career. He passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) earlier in the game.
"That record he got tonight, with KD in the league, I don't know how long it's going to last," Wade said.
It nearly wasn't enough, as the East's comeback had the crowd filled with entertainers and athletes chanting for defense - never a part of the All-Star game vocabulary - in the final seconds.
James hit two long 3-pointers in the final period, and the East had a chance when Bryant, with the crowd loudly booing, missed a free throw with 18 seconds left and the West up 151-149.
But New Jersey's Deron Williams was short on a 3-pointer, and after the East came up with it, James fired a pass into a crowd that Griffin intercepted.
On a colorful night in Orlando, from pregame performer Nicki Minaj's pink and green hair to the neon sneakers many of the stars wore, Dwight Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds as the game's host.
The NBA's first All-Star game in Orlando in 20 years wasn't close after 2 1/2 quarters. But players always say it gets competitive in the final five minutes, and James was again up for the challenge.
He hiked his scoring average to 25.9 points over his eight All-Star games, and someday he'll probably take the record Bryant set Sunday.
But he couldn't quite catch Kobe in the game.
"Being a competitor, no matter All-Star game or not, you don't want to get blown out," James said. "Of course not, when you're going against your peers and you're going against great players and you're playing with great players. I just wanted to try to pick it up and see if we could make a run at it, and we did."
With the 2-year-old Amway Center considered by many the finest arena in the league, the NBA brought its midseason showcase back to Orlando for the first time since the memorable 1992 game, when Magic Johnson was MVP three months after retiring from the league because of the HIV virus.
This one was once in jeopardy of being lost when the lockout lasted into late November. Without a settlement then, All-Star weekend may have been wiped out, as it was in 1999 following a work stoppage.
The party was saved.
James and Howard, wearing bright orange shoes, danced onto the stage for pregame introductions, Howard breaking into an enormous grin when fans gave him a thunderous ovation as the last All-Star introduced. He insists that he and Magic fans still have a love affair despite his trade request, understanding he still loves the city even if not his team, and urged everyone to ignore the trade talk for a weekend and have fun.
"We did it big for our city," he said in brief pregame remarks to the crowd before the game.
Then Andrew Bynum blocked his first shot attempt.
The speedy Russell Westbrook had the East looking as if it was standing still late in the first half, and it was 88-69 at the break.
Howard and Derrick Rose ditched their orange sneakers in the second half - James kept his - and the East quickly got back into it, trimming 12 points off its deficit in less than 6 minutes. They even started to defend - Wade whacked Bryant so hard on a drive that the Lakers star needed a break between free throws to wipe blood from his nose before sinking it to tie Jordan.
Williams scored 20 points for the East. Carmelo Anthony had 19, and Rose finished with 14.
Kevin Love, who won the 3-point contest on Saturday, scored 17 points for the West, which has won two in a row. Chris Paul had eight points and 12 assists.
NOTES: With Bryant, Bynum, Griffin and Paul, four West starters were from Los Angeles. Bynum played only 5 1/2 minutes after having a procedure on his knee Friday. ... Johnson came onto the court for a standing ovation following the first quarter after highlights of his 1992 performance were shown. He was part of another 20-year anniversary acknowledgement in the third quarter, joined by Olympic Dream Team teammates Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.
Even after that duo piled up the points, the NBA All-Star game came down to a defensive play.
A bloodied Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game, Durant had 36 in an MVP performance, and Blake Griffin's interception of LeBron James' pass secured the Western Conference's 152-149 win over the East on Sunday night.
Bryant shook off Dwyane Wade's hard smack to his nose and was still on the floor to say something to James after he threw away a pass in the closing records.
"You know, you have some of the best competitors out on the floor at the same time," James said. "Not only me and Kobe, but D-Wade and Durant and (Carmelo Anthony) and (Chris Paul), and all the rest of the guys. We all wanted to win, and it came down to the last minute or last seconds."
James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds, but weren't able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Wade finished with a triple-double.
"It was fun," Durant said. "That's the type of All-Star game you want to see."
Griffin scored 22 points for the West, which rang up 88 points in the first half, setting an All-Star record. But he won the game with his defense, picking off James' pass when the East had a chance to tie in the final seconds.
"When I tried to throw it late, that's what usually happens and it results in a turnover," James said. "Definitely wish I could have that one back."
Griffin then hit one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, and Wade was off on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Jordan and James as the only players with All-Star game triple-doubles.
Bryant was bloodied by a hard foul from Wade and stayed in the game, but left to be evaluated afterward and did not speak to the media.
Durant's win left Bryant tied for the All-Star record with his four MVP awards. But he got a bigger mark in his 13th All-Star game.
He broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter and now has 271 for his career. He passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) earlier in the game.
"That record he got tonight, with KD in the league, I don't know how long it's going to last," Wade said.
It nearly wasn't enough, as the East's comeback had the crowd filled with entertainers and athletes chanting for defense - never a part of the All-Star game vocabulary - in the final seconds.
James hit two long 3-pointers in the final period, and the East had a chance when Bryant, with the crowd loudly booing, missed a free throw with 18 seconds left and the West up 151-149.
But New Jersey's Deron Williams was short on a 3-pointer, and after the East came up with it, James fired a pass into a crowd that Griffin intercepted.
On a colorful night in Orlando, from pregame performer Nicki Minaj's pink and green hair to the neon sneakers many of the stars wore, Dwight Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds as the game's host.
The NBA's first All-Star game in Orlando in 20 years wasn't close after 2 1/2 quarters. But players always say it gets competitive in the final five minutes, and James was again up for the challenge.
He hiked his scoring average to 25.9 points over his eight All-Star games, and someday he'll probably take the record Bryant set Sunday.
But he couldn't quite catch Kobe in the game.
"Being a competitor, no matter All-Star game or not, you don't want to get blown out," James said. "Of course not, when you're going against your peers and you're going against great players and you're playing with great players. I just wanted to try to pick it up and see if we could make a run at it, and we did."
With the 2-year-old Amway Center considered by many the finest arena in the league, the NBA brought its midseason showcase back to Orlando for the first time since the memorable 1992 game, when Magic Johnson was MVP three months after retiring from the league because of the HIV virus.
This one was once in jeopardy of being lost when the lockout lasted into late November. Without a settlement then, All-Star weekend may have been wiped out, as it was in 1999 following a work stoppage.
The party was saved.
James and Howard, wearing bright orange shoes, danced onto the stage for pregame introductions, Howard breaking into an enormous grin when fans gave him a thunderous ovation as the last All-Star introduced. He insists that he and Magic fans still have a love affair despite his trade request, understanding he still loves the city even if not his team, and urged everyone to ignore the trade talk for a weekend and have fun.
"We did it big for our city," he said in brief pregame remarks to the crowd before the game.
Then Andrew Bynum blocked his first shot attempt.
The speedy Russell Westbrook had the East looking as if it was standing still late in the first half, and it was 88-69 at the break.
Howard and Derrick Rose ditched their orange sneakers in the second half - James kept his - and the East quickly got back into it, trimming 12 points off its deficit in less than 6 minutes. They even started to defend - Wade whacked Bryant so hard on a drive that the Lakers star needed a break between free throws to wipe blood from his nose before sinking it to tie Jordan.
Williams scored 20 points for the East. Carmelo Anthony had 19, and Rose finished with 14.
Kevin Love, who won the 3-point contest on Saturday, scored 17 points for the West, which has won two in a row. Chris Paul had eight points and 12 assists.
NOTES: With Bryant, Bynum, Griffin and Paul, four West starters were from Los Angeles. Bynum played only 5 1/2 minutes after having a procedure on his knee Friday. ... Johnson came onto the court for a standing ovation following the first quarter after highlights of his 1992 performance were shown. He was part of another 20-year anniversary acknowledgement in the third quarter, joined by Olympic Dream Team teammates Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.
Sabtu, 04 Februari 2012
Season review: 1995-96
The NBA expanded once again, going from 27 to 29 teams as the league returned to Canada with the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. Several long-standing records fell as two-time defending champion Hakeem Olajuwon passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in blocked shots. Jazz guard John Stockton, who led the league in assists for the ninth straight time to surpass Bob Cousy's NBA-record streak, became the all-time leader in steals and assists, passing Maurice Cheeks and Magic Johnson, respectively.
Robert Parish took over as the all-time leader in games played and stretched his career to 20 years, only the second NBA player (after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to reach that plateau.
Johnson, coincidentally, returned to the NBA and played in the regular season and playoffs for the first time since 1990-91. He appeared in 36 games for the Lakers and while he had some familiar Showtime-type moments in L.A. on the court, he clashed with his younger teammates.
Overall, though, this season belonged to the Chicago Bulls. It wasn't a perfect season for them -- after all, they did lose 10 games in the regular season and three in their playoff run to the team's fourth title in six years. But it came pretty close.
A rock star environment surrounded Michael Jordan (who was playing in his first full post-retirement season), Scottie Pippen, the newly-acquired rebounding machine Dennis Rodman and the Bulls everywhere they went as they stormed through the league to an NBA record 72-10 regular season, shattering the 1971-72 Lakers' mark of 69.
In his first full season since returning to the NBA, Jordan won his eighth scoring title to break Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven and also came away with an elusive triple crown: the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals.
While the spotlight shined extensively on the star trio, the Bulls were also recognized for the accomplishments of their supporting cast. Toni Kukoc was named Sixth Man of the Year while Phil Jackson was awarded the Coach of the Year.
In the Eastern Conferece playoffs, the Bulls went 11-1 (falling only to the Knicks in Game 3 of the East semis) and were back in The Finals for the first time since 1993. There they met the Seattle Sonics, who overcame years of disappointing postseason flameouts to reach their first Finals since 1979.
Although the Sonics showed resilience in winning Games 4 and 5 on their home court, they couldn't stop the Bulls' train. Chicago's storybook season ended with it winning the franchise's fourth championship in six seasons in an easy Game 6 victory as the Bulls returned to the top of the NBA.
Robert Parish took over as the all-time leader in games played and stretched his career to 20 years, only the second NBA player (after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to reach that plateau.
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Overall, though, this season belonged to the Chicago Bulls. It wasn't a perfect season for them -- after all, they did lose 10 games in the regular season and three in their playoff run to the team's fourth title in six years. But it came pretty close.
A rock star environment surrounded Michael Jordan (who was playing in his first full post-retirement season), Scottie Pippen, the newly-acquired rebounding machine Dennis Rodman and the Bulls everywhere they went as they stormed through the league to an NBA record 72-10 regular season, shattering the 1971-72 Lakers' mark of 69.
In his first full season since returning to the NBA, Jordan won his eighth scoring title to break Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven and also came away with an elusive triple crown: the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals.
While the spotlight shined extensively on the star trio, the Bulls were also recognized for the accomplishments of their supporting cast. Toni Kukoc was named Sixth Man of the Year while Phil Jackson was awarded the Coach of the Year.
In the Eastern Conferece playoffs, the Bulls went 11-1 (falling only to the Knicks in Game 3 of the East semis) and were back in The Finals for the first time since 1993. There they met the Seattle Sonics, who overcame years of disappointing postseason flameouts to reach their first Finals since 1979.
Although the Sonics showed resilience in winning Games 4 and 5 on their home court, they couldn't stop the Bulls' train. Chicago's storybook season ended with it winning the franchise's fourth championship in six seasons in an easy Game 6 victory as the Bulls returned to the top of the NBA.
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