Wizards meets head-on with Nuggets
?
Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, left, shoot at the basket.?Wizards meets head-on with Nuggets at the former\’s home court in Washington on Feb 19,2010.(Xinhua)
Wade crowns MVP of NBA All-Star Game
Dwyane Wade of Miami Heat on Sunday night was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game that was played in Dallas, Texas.
Liaoning Panpan defeat Jilin Tigers in CBA
Jilin Northeast Tigers suffered another home defeat to Liaoning Panpan 108-89 Sunday evening in the 22nd round of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league match.
Jilin was led by Liaoning, the team which kicked off the game without any foreign players, at the beginning of the fight and trailed 59-56 before the halftime.
Brandon Robinson led Liaoning Panpan by 27 points and 7 assists while Yu Shulong grabbed a team-high 25 points for the Northeast Tigers.
Sun unhappy with bit-part role in NBA
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Sun Yue, now back in China with his old Beijing team, has complained about his lack of playing time in the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant sits with teammate Sun Yue, of China, during practice for the NBA Finals basketball series in Los Angeles, June 3, 2009. [Agencies]
The 24-year-old won a championship ring last season but was released by the Lakers at the end of July before again being waived by the New York Knicks on Oct. 7.
"I wasn\’t happy being in a high-level basketball league but not having a chance to play," he told Wednesday\’s Titan Sports newspaper in an interview.
"If I could play 48 minutes in a game, I would feel my basketball career was very fulfilling."
Sun was the fifth Chinese to play in the NBA after being picked by the Lakers in the second round (40th overall) of the draft. Although he did not start in his rookie season, he featured in 10 games.
"Of course I developed in the NBA in the past year by playing and training with the best players in the world," he added.
"But as a professional player, the experience was flawed because if I was not on the court playing, nobody could see the progress I was making."
With both Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian sidelined with injury, there are currently no home-grown talents for China\’s legion of basketball fanatics to cheer on.
Mutombo hired to serve as NBA global ambassador
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Thursday that Dikembe Mutombo will serve as the NBA global ambassador.
After retiring from a playing career that spanned 18 seasons, Mutombo will now work to grow and celebrate the game through numerous international NBA events including Basketball without Borders. In addition, he will work closely on NBA Cares outreach efforts with Hall of Famer Bob Lanier who serves as Special Assistant to the Commissioner.
"Dikembe\’s extraordinary accomplishments on the court and in the community demonstrate why he is one of sports\’ outstanding humanitarians," Stern said.
"His commitment to using the values of our game to improve the lives of so many is an example of the special role we have in being leaders in social responsibility."
Mutombo started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997.
His commitment to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people in his birthplace led to the construction and opening of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center, a 29 million dollars, 300-bed hospital in Kinshasa named after his late mother.
Regarded as one of the top post defenders of all time, Mutombo will also play an important role in the mentoring of current players. His on-the-court honors include four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards through a career that also saw him named to eight All-Star Game appearances, and a place on three All-NBA teams and six All-Defensive teams.
No timetable for Paul\’s return for ankle injury
There is no timetable for Hornets\’ star guard Chris Paul\’s return after MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis of ankle sprain.
Further tests on Paul\’s ankle showed nothing beyond a sprain, but New Orleans team spokesman Dennis Rogers said Monday that Paul will be evaluated daily and remains out indefinitely..
Paul twisted his left ankle in the Hornets\’ loss Friday night to Portland.
In 10 games this season, Paul has averaged 23.8 points and 9.2 assists.
The Hornets are 3-8 and have lost three straight and five out of six. That span included the firing of coach Byron Scott and his replacement two games ago by general manager Jeff Bower.
McGrady\’s return to court uncertain
No timetable has been set for Tracy McGrady\’s return from surgery though he\’s closer to getting back on the court after microfracture surgery.
"He\’s been able to practice and doesn\’t have the pain he had last year," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said on Tuesday.
"He still has a long way to go as far as running the court and moving defensively."
There was an internet report Monday that McGrady, who had surgery on his left knee in February, planned to make his season debut on Nov. 18 against Minnesota.
Adelman dismissed that date for the seven-time All-Star\’s return to the Houston Rockets.
"Coming off that surgery, you\’re not going to have the quickness you had before," Adelman said. "He\’s done OK. But he has a long way to go."
Kobe reaches 24,000 points, leads Lakers past Griz
Kobe Bryant scored 41 points while becoming the youngest player to reach 24,000 to lead the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers to a 114-98 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies yesterday.
Ron Artest had 19 points and seven assists in the fourth straight win for the defending NBA champions, who played without injured big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
Lamar Odom managed just three points before fouling out on his 30th birthday, but Bryant carried the Lakers while reaching his latest scoring milestone 38 days before Wilt Chamberlain did. With a second-half surge, he even overtook Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson for 16th place on the NBA\’s career scoring list.
Cavaliers 100, Knicks 91
At New York, LeBron James scored 33 points in his only visit to Madison Square Garden this season, leading Cleveland over New York.
James added nine assists and eight rebounds, but fell just short of passing Kobe Bryant as the active scoring leader at the Garden. James improved his average to 30.4 points, with Bryant averaging 30.5 in 11 visits, according to STATS LLC
James had scored 50 or more in two of his last three visits, joining Michael Jordan as the only visiting players with multiple 50-point games at the current building.
Trail Blazers 96, Spurs 84
At Portland, Oregon, Brandon Roy had 24 points and five rebounds, and Steve Blake added 15 points as Portland got a lift from its new-look lineup.
Richard Jefferson had 19 points, Manu Ginobili had 17, and Tim Duncan added 14 points and eight rebounds, but San Antonio lost Tony Parker to a sprained ankle and couldn\’t overcome a lethargic first half, playing one night after a loss at Utah.
Clippers 118, Warriors 90
At Oakland, California, Chris Kaman had 22 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes as the Los Angeles Clippers ended a seven-game losing streak in the Oakland Arena.
Baron Davis scored 16 of his 25 points in the third quarter. Eric Gordon added 25 points for Los Angeles and DeAndre Jordan scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. Sebastian Telfair also scored 13 points for the Clippers.
Anthony Morrow had 18 points and Stephen Jackson added 17 for the Warriors. Anthony Randolph had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Golden State, while Monta Ellis added 14 points and Kelenna Azubuike 13.
Suns 110, Celtics 103
At Boston, Jason Richardson bounced back from his worst game of the season to score 34 points with 10 rebounds as Phoenix rebounded from its only defeat.
Kevin Garnett had a season-high 26 points for Boston – the most he\’s scored since missing the end of the 2008-09 season and the playoffs with strained ligaments in his right knee.
Steve Nash had 16 points with 12 assists for Phoenix. Amare Stoudemire added 22 points, while Richardson finished 6 for 7 from 3-point range.
Magic 110, Pistons 103
At Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help Orlando hold off Charlie Villanueva and Detroit.
Villanueva scored 22 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn\’t enough to get past the defending Eastern Conference champs, who led by 19 early and never trailed at all.
Matt Barnes had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Magic and Jameer Nelson also scored 18, with eight assists.
Bucks 87, Timberwolves 72
At Minneapolis, Andrew Bogut bested Al Jefferson inside with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Luke Ridnour had 16 points off the bench as Milwaukee used a second-half surge to top Minnesota.
Rookie Brandon Jennings had his first clunker for the Bucks, putting up nine points on 4 for 16 shooting, but his backup Ridnour helped counter a career-high 20 points by Timberwolves rookie Jonny Flynn.
Heat 96, Nuggets 88
At Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 22 points and Jermaine O\’Neal added 18 as Miami dealt Denver its first loss of the season.
NBA to review postgame Paul-Rondo tiff
The NBA is to review the tiff between New Orleans guard Chris Paul and the Celtics\’ Rajon Rondo after Boston\’s 97-87 victory over Hornets on Sunday night.
Paul pursued Rondo toward the Celtics\’ locker room postgame and had to be blocked by Boston assistant coaches. The point guards had been assessed matching technical fouls in the second quarter after they got tangled up under the basket.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the league was looking into the incident, though Paul seemed unaware and unconcerned.
"That\’s over and done with," he said Monday after a 117-111 loss in New York. "We just played the Knicks. The Boston game, that\’s over and done with."
Paul denied on his Twitter page earlier Monday that he ever got close to the Boston locker room or exchanged words with Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.
Hornets coach Byron Scott said the league didn\’t call to interview him about the incident and he didn\’t ask Paul much about it.
Yao-less Rockets not hungry for attack
The Energy Solutions Arena seems not long the dire straits for Houston Rockets with power center Yao Ming and genius shooting guard Tracy McGrady on the injury list as eight players scored in double digits in Rockets\’ 113-96 thrash over Utah Jazz on Monday.
Rockets snatched three wins in a row in last five days tarnishing the Charles Barkley\’s appraisal "these Rockets will finish with the worst record in the West".
Fellow Bleacher Report NBA writer Andrew Ungvari opined they (Rockets) "would be lucky to finish 12th" in the conference.
Now the Yao-less Rockets announced they\’re not the team to be beaten, instead the team can beat. The same tough Jazz with tough guys like Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, and tough Jerry Sloan, just find the Yao-less Rockets tougher.
Without Yao, Jazz lost the key to the Rockets lock. In the latest seasons, Jazz just have been GPSing their favorite opponents upon Rockets, who lost twice to Utah in playoff clashes with Yao and McGrady on court.
Yao\’s disappearance just plunged Jazz astray. As the tallest active center in the league, Yao is in match against any power player and positioned focus of Houston\’s offense. Jazz sucked the pith to fight Rockets, stifling big Yao and forcing turnovers and lame shooting. Of course their tactics paid off in Sloan\’s witty deliberation, but they have to awaken now from the bygone sweetness in restraining Yao and capitalizing Rockets\’ tardy attack.
Now, Yao is on the bench in suit. Attack expert Rick Adelman is recovering in time his excellence of taking offense fast and running in flexibility. Each one shoots fast when the ball comes and each one passes fast as shooting is not ready. Who to defend? Jazz lost their minds.
"It\’s like we picked up right where we left off," Jazz all-star guard Williams said after Monday\’s game, referring last season\’s 2-7 collapse to finish the regular season. "We haven\’t played a good game of basketball yet. It doesn\’t look too good right now from the inside. I\’m sure it doesn\’t look good from the outside."
Which side to go? That puzzles not only the Jazz and quite likely a lot more in the coming games facing off the run-and-shoot brand new Rockets.
Rockets wake up to see they lose no power in attack with 104.8 points per games compared with Yao-time line-up. The major modification for Rockets the season is the signings of Trevor Ariza and rookie Chase Budinger in the cost of Ron Artest\’s departure.
Aaron Brooks is capable of long shot and fast break; Ariza attacks as well as his specialty defense showcased on the way to last season\’s championship in Lakers; Shane Battier, a similar player; Luis Scola, an effective shooter inside as well middle-distance shot.
Without Yao, the Rockets bring pace into full play. Brooks breaks fast making defenders laggard; Budinger can go coast to coast in a wink, receiving easy balls for easy scores, all overthrowing position fight with Yao on.
Running, running and running fast also facilitate Brooks\’ assists, which amount to 8.5 each game, ranking sixth in season table.
The Yao-less Rockets boast stronger? Yes, but only to some games like the one against Jazz, and those style alike such as run-and-shoot teams of Suns, Warriors etc.
The overall defense of Rockets is dropping off, without Yao, though Chuck Hayes stands sturdy inside including the slip-off of rebounds control.
To teams with power centers as Magics, Nuggets and Lakers, the Rockets need Yao\’s dominance inside. The rigorous defense from Celtics will also make Rockets hard to score without Yao\’s height.
Yao\’s absence renders Adelman to drill out a new format, while Yao\’s return next season should also not smash Rockets\’ established shape, instead append a card for a two-format Rockets towards better prospects.
