The Post Up

Post Up: Agent Zero Strikes

CHN — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:01:04 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie / @stackmack
After the busy schedule on Wednesday nights, I always feel like Friday mornings are so quiet. I guess it’s all good because it’s Friday and the weekend is here! It was also ridiculously warm outside here in Toronto yesterday evening/last night. I spent a good chunk of my day staring at a computer screen and it was heaven to spend the evening walking the streets and feeling Spring all around me.
LeBron’s Cavs lost to the Wizards last night. Uh oh. That could lead to some interesting conversation around here. I kid, but really, the Wiz/Cavs matchups are always entertaining, to say the least. Particularly when we’ve got Gilbert Arenas back out there, in the middle of things.
20:1
That’s the assist:turnover ratio for Gil since his return. I forgot how good he looked out there. It just feels right having him back on the floor. Notice he changed his shoes at halftime of that game? I’d still really, really, really like a Gil sole from the SLAM shoes, if anyone is listening to me.
I wrote a piece on Derrick Rose for my blog over at The Score yesterday. Check me out, I was the first person to ask Rose for a reaction of Chris Paul’s compliments about his game. That was a fun moment, seeing him almost burst with pride when I read him the quote.
Taking this off-topic for a moment, I know I don’t talk about music a lot around here, but I need to say, if you’re looking for something fun, check out Drake’s So Far Gone. I had a friend give me his stuff awhile ago and I said I’d listen but didn’t really listen, then it seemed like I couldn’t ignore it any longer after Baron Davis mentioned him last week, then I got into a friend’s car the other night and he was listening to the album (and asking me why I wasn’t yet on the bandwagon), and then on my walk last night I stumbled over the album I’d added to my ipod a few weeks ago.
Two hours later, I was swept away by Drake.
Okay, back to basketball.
Thoughts are being sent to Maurice Lucas, assistant coach of the Blazers who has just undergone surgery for bladder cancer. Stay strong, Coach Lucas.
Tell me this, how are the Nuggets suddenly in second place in the Western Conference? Okay, I guess it’s not “suddenly”, but wow I didn’t see that happening. O’Leary is convinced that the Nuggets will be facing the Lakers in the WCF. Tell him what you think about that prediction.
Gil wore black shoes in the second half of the game last night. As the friend who told me, texted, “hello, fine.” Love him. Have I mentioned how good it is to see him back on the floor?
The Wizards pulled off the shocker against Cleveland, taking them down, 109-101 as the last-place team in the Eastern Conference took down the top team in the league. With Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood in the starting lineup once again, it was smooth sailing for the Wizards as they led throughout the first half and went into the fourth up 10, 80-70. The Cavs would narrow the gap to six in the final minutes on a three from James, but Washington wasn’t giving this one up. Caron Butler had 25 points to lead Washington as Antawn Jamison scored 19, Brendan Haywood added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Arenas finished with 11 points and 10 assists. Bron had 31 points 9 rebounds and 6 assists and Mo Williams added 19.
The Sixers took down the Bucks, 105-95 thanks to a strong second half at home. The victory put them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as they bumped the Heat down to sixth. While the Sixers found themselves behind by nine at the half and then tied with the Bucks midway through the fourth, they pieced together a 10-0 run that was keyed by four quick points from Marreese Speights to go ahead and didn’t look back. Andre Miller led the way for Philadelphia with 18 points and 11 assists. Andre Igoudala added 20 points and Speights had 21 off of the bench. Ramon Sessions continued to ball for Milwaukee, scoring 18 points to go with 10 assists while Richard Jefferson scored 17 and Charlie Bell added 14.
Carlos Boozer hyped it as an important game, Kenyon Martin left midway through with a rib injury and the Nuggets took down the Jazz, 114-104 thanks to 8 blocks from Chris Andersen and 8 three-pointers from JR Smith. While they trailed by as many as 11 early, the Nuggets got a boost from Smith’s six first-half three-pointers and a layup at the halftime buzzer from Anthony Carter that put them up, 54-43. It was smooth sailing for the Nuggets from there as they nabbed win #50 on the season and a half-game lead over San Antonio for the second spot in the West. Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and Smith’s eight three’s came on 8-14 shooting from the floor as he finished with 28 points. Andersen added 7 points and 10 rebounds to go with his 8 blocked shots. The Jazz were led by Deron Williams and his 18-point, 10-assist night. Carlos Boozer scored 15 points to go with 11 rebounds, Mehmet okur added 14 points and 15 boards and CJ Miles scored 19 in the loss.

Post Up: Warriors Outlasting

CHN — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:00:27 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie / @stackmack
So the Lakers lost to the Bobcats and narrowly defeated the Bucks last night (104-98). Are we really going to talk about how a team that’s one win shy of 60 isn’t that good? Their defense has looked shaky at best on this trip, but there are a lot of teams who deserve the hate a whole lot more.
Sometimes I think we get spoiled. The Lakers have a ton of things to improve on before the playoffs come, but, they don’t suddenly suck. It’s a long road trip. They lost two games. Perhaps they should be more concerned than they are, but it truly isn’t the end of the world. Yet.
Iverson saying he’d rather retire than be a reserve next season? Charlotte. Larry Brown-A.I. reunion. Please? Raja and Brown. I bet Iverson respects them both even more now than before. That would make me happy. Regardless of where he ends up, he needs to find a place because I am nowhere near ready to give him up yet.
So the Raptors won again last night. This time against Orlando, in Orlando. Yup, a healthy Jose makes a huge difference. Still, it’s pretty damn frustrating watching this team look so fluid and smooth on the offensive end after the clunky year we’ve had watching here in Toronto. Yes, clunky. It’s the best descriptor I can think of for a year of bad.
I posted my interview with Raymond Felton over at The Score yesterday. Check it out if you’re a fan of Felton/Charlotte/me.
Okay, about the games last night. In the Milwaukee game, Ramon Sessions had a triple-double in the loss with 16 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Kobe finished with 30 for LA.
Paul Pierce scored 32 for the Cavs in that double-overtime affair as Raymond Felton had 14 points and 12 assists and Gerald Wallace finished with 20 points, 10 boards, 4 steals and a block.
The Raptors got a big win against the Magic, taking them down 99-95 as they sealed the game with a jumper from Bosh and free throws from Marion. Chris Bosh finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds and Marion added 17 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. Dwight finished with 30 and 9 for the Magic.
The Nets bounced back from that embarrassing loss to take down the road-weary Pistons, 111-98 thanks to 19 and 11 from Devin Harris and six players finishing in double-figures including 23 from Keyon Dooling who was moved into the starting lineup as Vince was slid down to the SF position. The Pistons were led by Rip Hamilton’s 29 while Walter Hermann and Rodney Stuckey scored 16 points apiece in the loss.
Josh Howard drew a controversial charge against Mario Chalmers in the Mavs 98-96 victory over the Heat last night. Dirk Nowitzki finished with 30 points for the Mavs while Howard scored 20 and Jason Terry had 13 off of the bench. Dwyane Wade scored 23 for the Heat who also had 18 from Chalmers nd 17 off of the bench from Michael Beasley.
The Suns played the role of spoiler against the Rockets, taking them down 114-109 behind a 25-point, 17-assist night from Steve Nash. Shaquille O’Neal had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Grant Hill added 23 as the Suns shot 54% from the floor in the game. The Rockets were led by Ron Artest’s 28 points while Yao Ming had 20 and 14 and Shane Battier scored 18.
Chris Paul had 30 points, 14 assists and 6 steals as he stole the game away from the Clippers in the final minutes last night. David West scored 19 and Julian Wright had 18. Eric Gordon had 25 points to lead the Clippers as Zach Randolph scored 24 to go with 14 rebounds and Baron Davis added 13 points and 12 assists.
The Warriors took down the Kings, 143-141 in the second straight painful loss for Sacramento. This one went into overtime and the Warriors just escaped. 42 points 9 rebounds and 9 assists for Monta Ellis. That’s a nice line. 50 for Kevin Martin. One 22 shots. That’s nice, too. Jason Thompson added 14 points to go with 19 boards before fouling out and Francisco Garcia scored 22. Kelenna Azubuike had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors.
While each of these teams are most definitely not playing for the postseason, they are still two I enjoy watching. Love watching McCants in Sacramento and of course, my Warrior guys. Even if Nellie’s all over the place with his lineups, the guys he puts out there have something to play for and I enjoy watching them.
I loved this piece on Bobby Jackson that basically said the same. Some guys are all about the game. Those are my favorite.

The Post Up: Bobcats Beat LA

CHN — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:02:58 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie/ @stackmack
Big night, tired hands. Burning wrists, actually. Gotta try to keep this short.
THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS: Shaun Livingston getting signed to a two-year deal with the Thunder. I just typed Hornets in there, think it’s because I’m watching the Kings/Hornets. Also cried at Vlade’s halftime ceremony. That stuff KILLS me. I love that they scheduled it with the Hornets in town so that Peja would be there.
So, yes. Livingston is on an NBA squad. I’m loving that all over town. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face yesterday. I know all of you SLAM people feel the same way and share my hopes for Shaun, that he gets a chance to live his dream.
Scot Pollard opened his speech by saying, “Vlade-Daad-e, he likes to party” Pollard’s pretty great. Chris Webber needs to be a public speaker or run for office or something where I can watch him and zone in. He’s an amazing speaker.
Funny story: After Z scored his 10,000th point, Delonte West was unaware of the milestone and kicked the game ball into the stands after the game. This kills me. Classic Delonte.
Sheed got called for his 16th technical last night for jawing with an official. He will now be suspended a game. Not good for the Pistons as they fight to remain in the 7th spot. It was fun seeing Sheed scream “That ball don’t lie” after Mo Williams missed the tech free throw, though.
I’d like Gerald Wallace on my team. That man is amazing.
Also, cool to see MJ on the sidelines cheering for his team. That has to feel good when you come to the bench and Jordan is on his feet. Fun watching him watch Kobe, too.
BETCATS, this is for you: Charlotte Bobcats took down the Lakers last night, 94-84. Second straight loss for the Lakers, and Charlotte looked good. Raja Bell forced Kobe into 28 shots for his 25 points, Pau did his best with 16/11/7 and Lamar added 20. Gerald Wallace was a beast with 21 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocked shots. Boris Diaw had 11 points and 12 assists and Raymond Felton added 16.
With the Bulls 107-105 loss to the Pacers, the Bobcats are only one game out of the eighth spot in the East. TJ Ford hit a jumper at the buzzer to give the Pacers the victory. The loss was the Bulls second straight road loss in a close game. Danny Granger had 31 points to lead the Pacers while Ford had 22 and 9 assists off of the bench. Derrick Rose had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for Chicago as Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas each added 20 in the loss.
Hawks fell to the Sixers, 98-85. Josh Smith had 33 for ATL in the loss and Flip Murray added 19 off of the bench. Andre Miller had 18 points and 10 asssts, Andre Igoudala scored 19 and Marreese Speights added 16 off of the bench.
Detroit held a lead for most of the first half against the Cavs in Cleveland, but Bron and Co. came roaring back as the Pistons scored only 29 points in the entire second half of the game to fall, 79-73. Bron had 25 points and 12 rebounds while Delonte West scored 12. The Pistons had 13 points from Rip Hamilton and 9 points/9 boards from Sheed.
Dallas took down Minny by 20, 108-88. Suns are now done like dinner. Dirk had 23 points and 12 rebounds… And so did Kevin Love. Love also had 3 assists.
On the same day that OKC adds SLAM-favorite Shaun Livingston to their roster (and had him sitting on the bench), the Thunder grabbed a huge victory over the Spurs, 96-95 when Michael Finley missed a jumper at the buzzer only seconds after hitting a three to keep the Spurs in it. Kevin Durant had 31 points, Russell Westbrook scored 16 to go with 10 assists and Jeff Green scored 16 as well. The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan’s 21 points and 12 boards as Manu Ginobili added 17.
The Nuggets held on for the 111-104 victory over the Knicks after giving up a 27-point lead. D’Antoni played only seven guys and they gave the Nuggets a run for their money. Nate Robinson scored 30 for the Knicks off of the bench as Al Harrington scored 23 and David Lee had 19 points and 12 boards. The Nugg’s were led by Melo’s 29 points while Nene had 18 points and 12 boards and JR Smith added 17 off of the bench.
On the night of Vlade’s jersey retiring, the Kings pushed the Hornets to the limit… And then the Hornets woke up. After Francisco Garcia scored on consecutive trips down the floor to tie the game at 108, he then blocked a layup attempt by Chris Paul and Beno Udrih hit a layup with 1.7 seconds remaining. While the Kings thought they were safe and had delivered a victory with Valde and the other former Kings in attendence, Peja got the last laugh as Rasual Butler hit a beaty three at the buzzer. David West scored 40 on the night to go with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Paul had 15 points 15 assists and 8 rebounds and Butler added 18. Andres Nocioni had 23 for the Kings while Garcia added 19 and Kevin Martin scored 20.
Protland killed the Jazz 125-104. BRoy had 25 and 11. Pryzbilla and Boozer and Sloan were all ejected. I didn’t see any of this game. Feel free to fill me in.

Post Up: Dwight Reaches 5k

CHN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:00:50 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
Very quiet night in the L to recap.
Hamed Hadaddi with 10 points and eight rebounds in less than minutes of play. That’s kind of nuts. He may finish with more, but that’s what he’s got with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter of this Clippers/Grizz game.
What is with Al Harrington screwing up in crunch time? Getting ejected last night in the final minutes of the game really wasn’t smart.
It’s official: I’ve added Pops Mensah-Bonsu to my list of guys that make me happy to watch. He’s just loving life and kicking ass and has all of Toronto absolutely in love with him. It’s fun.
I have to admit, I missed the retiring of Zo’s number. Yikes. I probably also missed the tears that would inevitably go along with that. Sorry but, I needed a timeout with my roommate and I missed it. And, by timeout, I mean a coffee break that was wonderful, not a timeout like, in trouble timeout. May not have mentioned it lately, but I am so lucky to have many amazing people in my life.
Besides the timeout from the world with my roommate, I had lunch with a college friend that turned into a three hour affair and then spent a piece of the evening with one of my most favorite people in the world. Not a lot of basketball, but it was still a wonderful day. Hope you all have a great one today.
ps. How are the Cavs really first in the league? I see this every day and don’t believe it sometimes.
Moving away from the NBA for a moment, I had my Cuse love challenged yesterday because there was no mention of their season-ending game against Oklahoma. Let me tell you, I was buried in the media gondola watching the game on my laptop at the ACC in-between the Raptors/Thunder contest last Friday. My heart was breaking for the boys in Orange and then I was gutted when Flynn stepped in for the charge against Blake and instead got run over and landed hard on his back.
I thought his night was over and that the Orange were done. He came back and played the second half, the Orange made a late run, but it was over. Props go to Blake Griffin and his squad for that game (and then to UNC for dethroning them), but my champions are Syracuse and nothing will change that.
Also, that Villanova/Pitt game was one of the best tourney games we’ll probably see this season. That was wild. When Dixon went down into what was basically a split with a guy on either leg, yeooooch. Talk about painful. And the guy came back to play! I didn’t expect that.
Also, Kemba Walker. Love that. A rookie scoring a career-high in a tourney game. Fantastic.
This night has flown by and I don’t know where the missing hours have gone. The Nets played the Bucks and they kind of forgot to show up. Honestly. Down 19 after one, down THIRTY at the half, the Nets lost to the Bucks, 107-78. It was ugly. Really ugly. Devin Harris and Vince Carter combined for 19 points on 6-22 shooting. Richard Jefferson had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bucks as Charlie Villanueva added 20 and Joe Alexander had 16 off of the bench. Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 14 for the Nets and Brook Lopez scored 10 points to go with 10 rebounds.
With a 101-95 victory over the Heat, Dwight Howard grabbed his 5,000th career rebound, becoming the youngest to reach the milestone. The Heat had retired Alonzo Mourning’s number prior to the game but Howard was the man of the night, finishing with 22 points to go with this 18 rebounds as the Magic continue to hold onto the number two spot in the Eastern Conference as the season winds down. A three from Rashard Lewis sealed the victory for Orlando in the final minutes. Lewis finished with 21 points as Hedo Turkoglu added 16. The Heat were led by Dwyane Wade’s 42 points, but they weren’t enough.
The Jazz survived a late run by the Knicks to hang on for the 112-05 victory last night. In the final minutes Al Harrington was ejected in the final seconds as the Knicks came back from a 24-point fourth quarter deficit to briefly go ahead by one. With his team trailing by six, 22 seconds on the clock, Harrington again showed bad judgment as he argued with officials and was thrown out of the game, setting up Kyle Korver for two free throws that extended the Jazz lead and sunk the Knicks. Before the ejection, Harrington had 24 points (but 8 turnovers), as David Lee scored 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and Wilson Chandler added 14. The Jazz received a 24-point, 13-assist night from Deron Williams, while Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 11 boards and Ronnie Brewer scored 17.
Speaking of that Golden State/Memphis game, the Grizzlies pulled out the victory, taking down the shorthanded (nine men in uniform), Warriors, 114-109. They were down by nine in the final quarter before coming back by outscoring Golden State 37-25 in the period. OJ Mayo had 24 points and a career-high 10 assists, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley scored 21 points apiece and Hakim Warrick added 16 off of the bench. Monta Ellis scored 29 points for the Warriors as Jamal Crawford had 22 points and Kelenna Azubuike added 14 in the loss.

Post Up: Crafty Chris Paul

CHN — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:00:35 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
A bunch of games yesterday, but my focus was firmly on the Raptors/Bulls contest. I was at the game and spotted an empty seat courtside on press row (I’m usually in a different press section), and emailed Raptors PR who told me to make the move, so I was able to watch Derrick Rose, and Ben Gordon in action and watching them will their team back from 18-down was something.
Watching Gordon’s shot over Bosh to tie the game at the buzzer and force overtime was special. Watching Rose go inside again and again, fearless as he went to the hoop was amazing. He ended up turning the ball over in traffic on the Bulls final possession in the extra session, but it didn’t even matter. 23 points and 9 assists later, he’s no rookie.
He deserves the award though. And you know I was on the OJ side of things. I can’t deny Rose any more. So calm and collected. Except for that turnover at the end of the game. He was furious with himself then. I felt for him. Good win for the Raptors though. Love how they string a four game winning streak together now that it doesn’t really matter.
I really, really, really hope we have Pops Mensah-Bonsu here next season. How guys like this don’t latch on with an NBA team quicker, I don’t know. I’m so happy for him though, whether with Toronto or not, he’s earned himself a contract next season. Chatted with him a bit postgame about the NBDL and his diet. Turns out he’s trying to eat better and take care of his body now, before that metabolism slows down. This led to an interesting convo about per diem and the NBA versus the NBDL.
Speaking of the game, the Raptors won in overtime, 134-129. Chris Bosh finished with 31 points and 15 rebounds as Jose Calderon had 22 points as he tied the franchise-high with 19 assists. The Bulls had a 37-point night from Ben Gordon, while Derrick Rose had 23 points and 9 assists and Joakim Noah scored 16.
Thoughts go out to Stephen Jackson who will miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery on his toe. Kinda screws with my fantasty team and playoffs start today. I’ve been in first for most of the season and I want to keep it that way. Wish me luck.
Thoughts also go out to Mike Taylor, who went down hard after banging knees with Yao Saturday night. He came back into the game, but man, tough break when you’ve finally been given your chance. Hope he doesn’t need any down time.
Okay, so the Lakers were defeated by the Hawks. I didn’t see this, but CoCo tells me so. 86-76 for the Hawks and it looks like it was an ugly one from the boxscore. Neither team shot over 40% and Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson were fighting each other for the ugliest fg %. Bryant finished 7-19 for 17 points while Johnson finished 4-18 for 10 points. Pau Gasol had 21 and 11 for LA while Mike Bibby had 21 for the Hawks. The Lakers scored just 13 points in the first quarter for a season-low.
The Cavs took down the Mavs easily, 102-74. It was ugly for Dallas. The highlight of the game happened in the third quarter when LeBron James ran into a ref and went down. We were watching in the press room before the Raps tip off and everyone in that room stopped what they were doing as a hush came over us until we saw that Bron was okay. Funny how he can stop the world with a fall. Anyway, the Cavs have another home win, have won 12 straight and have the best record in the NBA. Give this man the MVP and give the Cavs an award for their entertaining intros, I’m enjoying watching them. Bron had 24 points and 12 assists, Mo Williams added 22 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 14 points and 9 boards. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 20 points, while Jason Terry and Erick Dampier each added 10 points.
I still haven’t seen Bron’s halfcourt shot on 60 minutes that everyone keeps on linking to, apparently it’s not available in my country. Whatever.
The TWolves were killing the Nets for most of the game but New Jersey made a game of it late before falling, 108-99. Vince Carter had 36 points in the loss while Devin Harris ended up with 19. The Wolves were led by Mike Miller’s 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Ryan Gomes scored 21 points while Rodney Carney added 19 off of the bench. Kevin Love added 16 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.
Allen Iverson and Rip Hamilton returned to the lineup for the Pistons, Hamilton starting and Iverson coming off of the bench and the Pistons defeated the Sixers 101-97 thanks to a fourth quarter that saw them outscore Philadelphia 22-14. Tayshaun Prince scored 21 for the Pistons, Rodney Stuckey scored 16 and Rip Hamilton scored 14. Andre Igoudala had 27 points 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a losing cause for the Sixers as Thaddeus Young added 22.
The Hornets escaped with a win over San Antonio, 90-86, thanks to Chris Paul having the mind to throw up a shot just over the half when he was fouled with 7.1 seconds remaining, to draw three free throws. After hitting all three, the Hornets were up four and went on to the victory after a shaky final few minutes that saw the Spurs cut a seven-point lead down to one in a matter of seconds. Paul finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists as David West scored 23 points to go with 16 rebounds. The Spurs were led by a 19-point, 15-rebound night from Tim Duncan as Tony Parker added 20 points and 7 assists and Manu Ginobili scored 17 off of the bench.
Losing 126-118 is another nail in the coffin for the Phoenix Suns and their playoff hopes. One night after losing to the Blazers, the weary Suns came to Sacramento and fell again. While they still have time to make up ground on Dallas, they are going to have to get some help from the Mavs if they want to make the postseason. In this one, Spencer Hawes was great for the Kings, finishing with 20 points to go with 10 rebounds while Jason Thompson scored 21 points and Francisco Garcia and Andres Nocioni each scored 19. The Suns were led by Steve Nash’s 31 points and 14 assists as Shaquille O’Neal added 24 points and 9 rebounds and Jared Dudley added 17 off of the bench.

Post Up: Blazers Burn Suns

CHN — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:03:35 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
Happy it’s Friday? I don’t know where this week has gone. Durant/Green/Westbrook and Co. in town tonight and I’m excited.
My hands are also tired of typing. I had two liveblogs last night and those college games took forever! Villanova took down Duke… Well, slaughtered them would be a better way to put it. How many of you had them defeating Duke? How many of you are happy people today?
16-60. That’s what the Blue Devils shot for the game.
And, dammit. Didn’t my heart pull for Paulus when they took him out. I can’t handle the seniors when they finish on the losing end of things. Or when they foul out. It’s such a look of helplessness and despair. Bah.
Speaking of heartbreakers, on Raptors NBATV, which is Canada’s version of NBATV, they’ve got this commercial that they just played as I’m here writing this, going through highlights of all of the Raptors success over the years. PAIN-FUL. How did we get to this point?
I also had Memphis winning, if we’re counting. Oops. Kinda dropped the ball on that one, didn’t I?
If you haven’t read Michael Grange’s article clearing up some details on the Chris Bosh situation, I recommend that you do so. Looks like Bosh was making arrangements to take care of his daughter before she was born and there is more to this story than the side we heard a couple of days ago. Hopefully this situation can get resolved quickly and these parents can love their daughter and respect each other.
One more link for you this morning, amazing piece on Corey Fisher. Written by Dana O’Neil, this is right up there with Jackie MacMullan’s piece on Wade and then the Jenkins article on Lamar. Some fantastic pieces coming out lately. This one really killed me. You know there is room inside of my heart for Fisher!
One more NCAA note: Syracuse plays tonight. While the Raptors play. I will be watching Madness on Demand on this mac of mine while at the game. You know it.
Oh yes, according to Russ, Wade became the first player under 6′4″ to record 100 blocks. Kinda crazy, isn’t it?
Okay, quiet NBA night, Lakers over Detroit 92-77, to snap a nine-game losing streak in Detroit. While the Pistons lead early, the Lakers used a 20-0 run to take care of business and quiet the Palace. With Will Bynum as your leader scoring a career-high 25 points to go with a career-high 11 assists, you know it’s not the normal Pistons lineup out there. Still without Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and of course, Allen Iverson, the Pistons struggled to put points on the board, with Antonio McDyess being the only other Piston to reach double figures with his 14-point 12-rebound double-double. The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant’s 30 points and 7 assists as Pau Gasol scored 12 points to go with 11 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 12 points to go with 10 boards.
The Bulls rolled over Miami, 106-87 and with that loss, Dwyane Wade took his name out of the running and essentially handed Bron the MVP trophy. Yes, it’s only one game, but I think by now, the award is safely in LeBron’s reach. I don’t think the Heat can come back Didn’t catch any of this one, but it looks like the third quarter was the story as the Heat collapsed, getting outscored 32-14 in the period, as Chicago ran away with this one late. John Salmons led the way with 27 points while Ben Gordon scored 18 and Kirk Hinrich had 15. Tyrus Thomas also scored 15 points to go with 12 rebounds. Wade led the Heat with 31 points while Udonis Haslem scored 13 and Jermaine O’Neal added 12.
One night after getting a big win against the Jazz, the Suns fell to the Blazers. With each game more and more crucial in the Suns race for eighth in the Western Conference, losing 129-109 to Portland doesn’t help Phoenix inch any closer to the Mavs. Tired legs in the third quarter doomed the Suns who were content to try and outscore the Blazers. Getting outscored 35-22 didn’t play into that plan as they gave up 60% shooting to Portland in the game. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers while Brandon Roy had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Rudy Fernandez had 23 points off of the bench on 8-10 shooting from the floor. The Suns were led by Shaquille O’Neal’s 20 points as Jason Richardson scored 16 and Steve Nash added 15.

The Post Up: Suns Shining

CHN — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:01:22 -0700

by: Holly MacKenzie
Hello. Thursday. NCAA again. TNT night. Lots going on.
Two words for you. Two words, one name: Mike. Taylor. I think the SLAM energy was being felt by Taylor last night as he dropped 35 in MSG in the Clippers overtime win against the Knicks. His season average is 3.9 ppg, if you were wondering. Sunday, I spoke with Taylor for 10 minutes after the game (which will be posted today on my Court Surfing column if its the last thing I do!). I was the only reporter in the entire locker room who spoke two words to him. Last night at the Knicks/Clipps game, Matt Caputo spoke with Taylor pregame and again, was the only reporter to talk to him.
35 points later, he had his own media scrum. He knows what’s up though. SLAM can recognize talent when we see it. Loved to hear about those 35 points. Totally made my night.
About that final Dwight block against Pierce in the Orlando/Boston game… Anyone else think that might be a foul? I’ve only seen the highlight twice quickly, but I’m surprised that there wasn’t a call on that. If you saw the game, let me know. Good block, or non-call?
Also surprised to see the Nuggets take down the Hornets 101-88 until I saw the boxscore and realized New Orleans played without Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic. The Nuggets were without Nene, who was serving game one of a two-game suspension for that headbutt in the game Monday night.
Manuuuuu was back last night, but it was all about TP, dropping 42 and 10. He’s pretty damn great and I never really give him his due.
29 points from Thaddeus Young in a Sixers win against the TWolves. They’ve been rolling as of late.
20 points and 7 assists for Jose Juan Barea in a Mavs win over the Warriors. Taking it, 128-106, the Mavericks remain three games in front of the Suns for that eighth spot in the West. Dirk Nowitzi had 26 on the night as Anthony Morrow led the Warriors with 29 off of the bench.
Went to the Raptors/Bucks game and was shocked to see the Raptors win, 115-106. This one was not nearly that close as Toronto led by 20 at the half and only allowed the Bucks to close the gap in the final minutes when the outcome had already been decided. The Raptors dropped 40 in the second quarter and shot 40 free throws compared to the 9 attempts for the Bucks. Six Raptors finished in double-figures, led by Chris Bosh’s 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Anthony Parker scored 18 points as well while Jose Calderon had 19 points and 11 assists and Andrea Bargnani scored 23. The Bucks were led by 22 points from Richard Jefferson, 20 from Charlie Bell off of the bench and 18 points from Ramon Sessions.
My pick for eighth in the East lost to the Wizards last night. The Bobcats fell, 95-93 taking a hit in their hopes to make the postseason this year. While the Wizards dressed only eight players (but will have Gil come Saturday, if all news reports are correct), they had just enough to take down Charlotte. Antawn Jamison scored 27 points, Nick Young added 23 and Mike James and Andray Blatche each added 15. Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 21 points and 11 rebounds as Emeka Okafor and DJ Augustin each scored 15 points.
The Pacers took down the Heat 90-88 in a game that went down to the wire and came down to Dwyane Wade’s three-pointer at the buzzer that rimmed out. The Heat shot only 37% on the night and finished just 3-17 from beyond the arc. Dann Granger led the Pacers with 28 points while TJ Ford scored 20 points off of the bench, Jarrett Jack scored 13 points and Jeff Foster pulled down 16 boards. Wade finished with 21 points and 8 assists for Miami as Udonis Haslem scored 18 points to go with 14 rebounds in the loss.
Cavs playing at home against the Nets. Another win. 33-1 in Cleveland. Yup. 98-87. LeBron James finished with 22 points 11 assists and 8 rebounds, Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao scored 16 points apiece and Delonte West added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Vince Carter scored 20 for the Nets, Javris Hayes added 18 and Brook Lopez scored 9 points to go with 10 rebounds.
Spurs took down the Hawks 102-92. Tony Parker with 42 points and 10 assists, Roger Mason with 18 as the Spurs rest Tim Duncan. Joe Johnson scored 30 for Altanta as Flip Murray added 15 off of the bench.
The Magic held on to take down the Celtics, 84-82, despite scoring only 14 points in the fourth quarter. While Paul Pierce got inside with 3.8 seconds remaining, Dwight Howard was waiting and he blocked a shot that would have tied the game to give his Magic the W. He finished with 24 points, 21 rebounds and 4 blocked shots on the night as Rashard Lewis scored 21 and Hedo Turkoglu added 13. Pierce finished with 26 points for Boston as Ray Allen scored 16 points and Kendrick Perkins had an 11-point, 11-rebound night.
Grant Hill wants to make the playoffs and he’s doing everything he can to get there. Last night the Suns moved to within three games of the Mavs for the final spot in the West (with a game against the Mavs still remaining). Hill led the way in a 118-114 victory over the Jazz last night, scoring 26 points. Matt Barnes added 21 points and 9 rebounds, Shaquille O’Neal scored 12 points to go with 12 rebounds and Steve Nash added 12 points and 14 assists. Deron Williams had 25 points and 10 assists for the Jazz as Ronnie Brewer scored 17 and Mehmet Okur added 15 points to go with 12 rebounds in the loss.

Post Up: Mason Saves Spurs

CHN — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:01:31 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
Okay, back to the daily grind we go.
Thanks for being patient with that one day hiatus! Appreciate it. Even though my plan to go to bed early and wake up late became foiled as news of Bosh’s baby-drama hit the wires. I had heard about this story awhile back and all I will say is I’ve heard some other things that lead me to believe that we’ve heard only one side of this story. I’m not implying that I know the truth, only reminding everyone that they don’t either. I’m sure the entirety of this story will unfold in a court where it belongs. In my opinion, there is no need for this to populate sports blogs and television shows
Maybe that’s just my opinion though. I don’t know. I do know that it is almost the end of March already. Not sure how that happened.
We had a pretty quiet night for a Tuesday and there wasn’t a lot of excitement besides that Spurs/Warriors game that -of course- the Spurs won, 107-106. This one was close throughout and while Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 30 points, it was a jumper from Roger Mason with 23.9 seconds remaining that gave the Spurs the lead for good. San Antonio didn’t exactly close out the game properly. After Mason’s jumper, Kurt Thomas went to the line and missed two free throws, giving Monta Ellis a chance to take the last shot of the game, running upcourt and launching a last-second three that didn’t make it. Parker had 10 assists to go with his 30 while Mason scored 24 points and Tim Duncan added 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors were led by Ellis and his 27 points while Stephen Jackson added 18 points and 8 rebounds and Anthony Randolph added 13 points and 9 boards off of the bench.
The Lakers rolled over the Thunder, 107-89. This one was basically over before it began as the Lakers led 37-20 at the end of the first quarter. LA led 62-38 at the half and things didn’t get any better for Oklahoma City. There were six Lakers in double-figures, led by Pau Gasol’s 14-point, 14-rebound performance as Kobe Bryant finished with 19 points and Lamar Odom added 18. Kevin Durant had 24 points for the Thunder, Jeff Green added 12 points and Nenad Krstic added 11 points and 7 boards.
Without Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich shone for the Bulls as they took down a Detroit team that was without Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, 99-91. Close in the first half, Chicago pulled away in the third quarter as the short-handed Pistons couldn’t keep up and were outscored 32-25 to give the Bulls a 75-68 lead going into the fourth. From there, Chicago laid it on, going up by as many as 19 points before the Pistons made the final score more acceptable in the final minutes. Hinrich led the way for Chicago with his 24 points as Tyrus Thomas scored 18 points to go with 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Joakim Noah scored 15 points to go with 10 rebounds and Ben Gordon added 19 points. The Pistons had 20-point performances from Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum and 16 points and 8 rebounds from Antonio McDyess.
The Utah Jazz used a strong second half to get a W against the surging Houston Rockets. Taking the 99-86 victory, Utah was up only three at the break, needing a 15-4 run in the third to get some breathing space from the Rockets and go into the fourth leading 75-67. While Houston would cut the Utah lead to only one, they would not be able to go ahead and the Jazz took care of things from there. Deron Williams led the way with 19 points and 12 assists, Ronnie Brewer scored 17 and Paul Millsap added 15 points and 9 rebounds off of the bench. Aaron Brooks had 20 points for the Rockets, Shane Battier scored 18 and Ron Artest added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Post Up: On Pause

CHN — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:00:06 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
I am succumbing to my body’s demands for sleep. It is 1:56 a.m. and I spent the night unraveling some Chris Bosh drama that I’m sure you’ll all hear about soon enough. I’m not a fan of this story but that is an opinion for another place and time. Anyway, I saw some of the Denver/Phoenix game and that’s it!
Today is a throwback day… to SLAMonline pre-Post Up. Fill me in. Fill yourselves in. Please.
Oh, about the news that Gil plans on coming back this weekend: if he feels the need to come back so he can mentally go into the offseason knowing he played and felt good, then great. I support whatever he does, but my goodness part of me wishes he’d just wait until next season. I’ll be holding my breath when I watch him out there for the first time.
And, in Syracuse news, Jonny Flynn said yesterday that he will be back in Orange next year. Hmm.
Suns won their fifth straight with a victory over the Nuggets that went down to the wire. Grant Hill saved the day with a jumper and a free throw to give Phoenix the 118-115 victory.
Flip Murray had 30 points for the Hawks in a victory over the TWolves. He keeps on coming with the good games.
Heard the Philly/Portland game was a good one that went into overtime before the Sixers pulled it out, 114-108, thanks to Andre Miller’s 27-point, 10-rebound night. Most underrated pg out there.

The Post Up: Lovely LeBron

CHN — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:04:21 -0700

by Holly MacKenzie
Tell me this, is anyone going to grab a road win in Cleveland before the regular season ends?
Honestly, the Cavs look damn unstoppable on their homefloor. Last night was no exception as the Blazers managed to force overtime only to have LeBron claim his 7th triple-double this season and also steal back the win.
Skeets said last night, “Please stop trying to tell me LeBron James isn’t this season’s MVP. You sound like a fool.” I don’t think I can disagree with this statement.
LeBron isn’t fair. He is just that good. Too good.
He finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 2 blocked shots last night.
LUUUUUUKE dunking over Ronny Turiaf really was too much for me. My heart almost jumped out of my chest because I was so surprised. Really, Luke Walton!
The refs really let the calls go in that Lakers/Warriors game and it got kind of ugly.
It was great to see Monta continue to work his way back and find his rhythm.
Could the Suns possibly make the playoffs? They’ve got to face Dallas once more this season and are currently 3.5 games back after the Mavs lost in ATL last night. It just doesn’t seem right to imagine the Suns watching from home.
The Bobcats are in town tonight and I’ve got to say, I think I’m the biggest Raja Bell fan who is also a Kobe fan. Actually, I’m probably top five Raja Bell fans, family included.
Quote of the night: “His jersey is longer than his drawers” -Chris Webber on Inside, speaking on Charles Barkley’s short-shorts and long jersey combo.
Can I just say once more how much I enjoy the presence of Chris Webber on Inside, NBATV and anywhere else that he feels like showing up? He’s fantastic.
Day one of the tourney is in the books, how’d you all do? I’m sure a lot of you were here, checking in with Justin Walsh and his liveblogging, but, tell me, favorite moment of yesterday? I’ve already had a few that have killed me, seeing the guys who lose, with their face in hands, jersey pulled up to cover tears, that just rips me. In a good way though. It makes me appreciate the game so much more.
Thoughts are with Coach Calhoun who, according to Charlie V’s twitter account, will be coaching today. Either way, thinking of him and wishing him health and wellness.
Cleveland 97 Portland 92 OT

After a disgustingly brutal first half that saw Cleveland lead, 36-34 (yes, at the half), the Blazers managed to stick with the Cavs despite being without LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. In the fourth, it appeared as though LeBron James would lead the Cavs to the win as he knocked down back to back shots to put his team up 86-82 with 34 seconds remaining but the craftiness of Brandon Roy drew back to back fouls on James and Roy then hit four free throws to tie the game up and force overtime. In the extra session however, the shorthanded Blazers stumbled, and went down by five before scoring their first basket of the period. By then, James had found his rhythm again and knocked down two more shots, including a beauty jump hook in the lane. Game over, Cleveland wins. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 21 points for the Cavs while Joe Smith and Mo Williams each added 12. The Blazers had a 24-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist night from Brandon Roy, 17 points from Travis Outlaw and a 13-point, 11-rebound double double from Joel Pryzbilla.
LA Lakers 114 Golden State 106
This was a win for the Lakers, but it was an ugly one. With LA holding onto 52-51 lead at the break, it appeared as though the game was all but over in the third quarter when the Lakers rang off a 22-6 run to take an 18-point lead. LA allowed their guard to come down and forget they were playing the pesky Warriors and before they knew what had happened, Golden State had come back and trailed by only five points in the final minutes of the game. Kelenna Azubuike helped his team in their run, connecting on a career-high five three-pointers. With the game on the line, the Lakers were just a step ahead of the Blazers as Trevor Ariza knocked down a huge three to give his team some breathing room. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each scored 21 points with Gasol needing 10 less field goal attempts and also adding 14 rebounds. Lamar Odom had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots. Azubuike led the Warriors with 25 points and 8 rebounds as Monta Ellis added 27 points and Brandan Wright added 11 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Atlanta 95 Dallas 87
The Dallas Mavericks continue to lose games they need in their quest to keep a strong grip on the eighth playoff spot in the West. With the 95-87 loss to the Hawks, the Mavs keep the door cracked open for the Phoenix Suns who are now three and a half games back. With the Hawks victory, they now hold a four game lead over the Heat for homecourt advantage in the East. While the Hawks led early thanks to a second quarter that saw them outscore the Mavs 33-16, the Mavs tried their best to mount a comeback in the second half before falling short. Cutting the 17 point lead down to two at the start of the fourth quarter, the Mavs would not get any closer thanks to the solid play of Joe Johnson who finished with 24 points to lead the Hawks. Flip Murray added 19 points off of the bench, Al Horford had 13 points and 8 rebounds and Josh Smith scored 15. The Mavericks had 23 points and 12 rebounds from Dirk Nowitzki, 16 points from Antoine Wright and 13 from Ryan Hollins in the loss.