Toronto
116, Portland 109, 2OT
Chris Bosh has enjoyed these sorts of games (38 points, 14
rebounds) over the last few years, and it’s what keeps him among the NBA’s
elite big men in spite of the fact that he can’t take over a game defensively,
and sometimes disappears on the boards.
Bosh is an out-and-out scorer, which cannot be said for Dwight
Howard, Tim Duncan, and Andrew Bynum. Each of those three might be better than
Bosh (or, in Bynum’s case, will be
better than Bosh) in terms of all-around play, but the Raptors can ride Chris
to 40-some points in some games, and that’s a huge benefit for a team that
relies so much on perimeter play to do its damage.
C-dash-B
turned the ball over just twice in over 55 minutes of play in the Raptor win,
blocked three shots, pulled in 14 rebounds, and generally made a good team
great in the face of a white hot Trail Blazer team. Both squads combined for
just 17 turnovers in a double overtime game, which is truly impressive; though
the Trail Blazers have to work on getting to the line more, LaMarcus Aldridge
I’m looking in your direction, and shoot more than 14 in 58 minutes.
About 13 months ago, in the midst of his sixth 30-point game
in seven tries, Joe Johnson strained his right calf. And, though his big
minutes and many shot attempts keep the scoring averages solid upon first
glance, Johnson hasn’t looked the same until just recently.
Unable to gather himself to get tough fadeaways off or shots
in traffic, Johnson’s scoring touch has dwindled in spite of his plus-20 per
game average. Against the Cavs, Wizards, and Bulls this week, however, Johnson
averaged close to 30 per game while making over half his shots as the Hawks won
two of three.
JJ has seen himself a little overrated in Atlanta because of
his big minutes (compare his per
40 numbers to, say, Manu
Ginobili), but he’s a hell of a player who deserves credit for trying to
play through a nagging injury that has obviously turned his game on its ear.
The Arkansas
product also chipped in with nine rebounds and six assists in almost 43 minutes
over the 21-point win.
The NBA’s preeminent "bad NBA stereotype" teams met up at
MSG last night, and the Pistons held up their end of the predictable angle by
showing nothing in the team’s fourth game in five nights.
The Pistons gave token effort in the first quarter, but fell
behind after a listless second quarter, and decided to pack it in after a few
jumpers declined to fall early in the third period.
Detroit’s mindset … eh, it
was pretty obvious. They were hoping to shoot themselves back into it; the
looks didn’t fall, so the Pistons passed on getting out on New York’s shooters. After the starters
earned their rest with pitiful play, the Knicks took advantage. Even with the
starters out there, Zach Randolph (in the first half) and Jamal Crawford (in
the second) played terrific offensive games.
Two days after dominating the Miami Heat, the Hornets had a
little tougher time of things in taking down the Rockets. Peja Stojakovic had
his butt handed to him by Shane Battier, failing to make a field goal in five
tries, adding just two points and zero rebounds in almost 27 minutes. Luckily
for the Hornets, David West can ball, throwing in 26 and 12 rebounds with just
one turnover in 39 minutes.
Yao Ming (30 and 16) had his third 30-point effort of the new
year in the Houston
loss.
I was blacked out of this one, I’ll have to head down to
Indy for a better look at the Pacers once they return from the road trip, and
the boxscore returns were pretty encouraging for Warrior fans.
In two games since he dropped a stinker up in Portland, Baron Davis has
averaged 23.5 points (on 18-33 shooting) with 12.5 assists, 2.5 turnovers, a
block, 6.5 rebounds and two steals a game. Monta Ellis appeared to put together
a great floor game with 27 points (on 22 shots), eight rebounds, four assists,
and one turnover in 42 minutes.
Los
Angeles Lakers 100, Memphis 99
Pau Gasol (21 points, eight assists, 18 rebounds, four
blocks) continues to play brilliantly, and Mike Miller played well early on
(finishing with 27 points on 16 shots), but the Lakers and Kobe Bryant were too
much for a tired Grizzlies team.
Rookie Javaris Crittenton (seven points in seven minutes)
did his part to keep the Grizz at bay in the fourth quarter, but a third
quarter left knee injury to Andrew Bynum cast a pall on the Staples Center
crowd that was pretty hard to lift.
Bynum swears that he didn’t hear a pop, and
that the pain in his knee responded to ice after the game, but this stuff
doesn’t mean anything until he undergoes an MRI
on Monday.
Players have played on torn ACLs without significant pain - Qyntel
Woods played high school basketball on one, former NBA forward Eric Williams
and NFL running back Curtis Enis played on torn ligaments for an entire half at
a time before the knee swelled beyond repair - so pain that subsides directly
after the sprain isn’t really an indication of much. We’ll just have to hold
our breath and hope that this special talent won’t have to take to the pine.
Before the injury, Bynum was playing terrific basketball:
offering ten points and nine rebounds in under 20 minutes, with three assists
and no turnovers, while showcasing a soft touch with either hand.
The game had an unfortunate ending, as well. Grizzlies guard Kyle Lowry was clearly fouled (and not in the, "I’m going to throw myself into the defender"-way) in the lane by Kwame Brown in the game’s final seconds, but the referees passed on giving him what would have been the game’s deciding free throws.
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