Hopefully, I will update this with the highlights as the season progresses.
TNT has record-setting ratings for NBA season opener
Tipping off one of the most anticipated seasons in the league's history,
TNT's exclusive doubleheader coverage of opening night of the 2010-11 NBA season
delivered record-setting ratings and audience for the network,
averaging a 3.5 US rating, 5,493,000 total viewers and 4,025,000 households.
The opening game, featuring the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics,
earned a 4.6 US rating and delivered 7,433,000 total viewers and 5,339,000 households, making it the most watched regular season NBA game on cable of all-time
(topping the Chicago Bulls vs. LA Lakers on Feb. 2, 1996).
Game two of the doubleheader,
featuring the Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. (ET)
delivered a 2.4 US rating, 3,719,000 total viewers and 2,823,000 households,
making the doubleheader the most watched NBA Opening Night doubleheader
in Turner's 27 years of tipping off the season.
NBA News
TNT's exclusive doubleheader coverage of opening night of the 2010-11 NBA season
delivered record-setting ratings and audience for the network,
averaging a 3.5 US rating, 5,493,000 total viewers and 4,025,000 households.
The opening game, featuring the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics,
earned a 4.6 US rating and delivered 7,433,000 total viewers and 5,339,000 households, making it the most watched regular season NBA game on cable of all-time
(topping the Chicago Bulls vs. LA Lakers on Feb. 2, 1996).
Game two of the doubleheader,
featuring the Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. (ET)
delivered a 2.4 US rating, 3,719,000 total viewers and 2,823,000 households,
making the doubleheader the most watched NBA Opening Night doubleheader
in Turner's 27 years of tipping off the season.
NBA News
Saturday October 30, 2010
TumugonBurahinThe Miami Heat, behind a strong third quarter, defeated the Orlando Magic 96-70 Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
QUOTABLE: "When me and Chris [Bosh] decided to join him [Dwyane Wade], and even the rest of the guys, this is what we envisioned. Is it going to be a 26-point win every night? No, it's the NBA and we know that, but the fans, they came out and the least we could do is play hard for them."
-- LeBron James
Saturday October 30, 2010
TumugonBurahinRookie John Wall made sure the Wizards did more than hang around Saturday before host Atlanta beat them 99-95. Washington took an 11-point lead late in the first quarter in Atlanta, and then even after the host Hawks gained rhythm enough to lead 44-40 at halftime the visitors overcame an 8-point third-quarter deficit to tie the game at 70 by the end of the period as Wall scored the final 12 points of the quarter. He finished with 28 points and nine assists. After making just of 15 shots through the first three quarters, Atlanta's Joe Johnson heated up for 14 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Hawks (3-0). Al Horford (21 points and 10 rebounds) and Josh Smith (12 points, 10 rebounds) registered double-doubles for Atlanta as the Hawks overcame 13 blocked shots by the Wizards (0-2) with an 11-point edge at the free-throw line.
QUOTABLE: "Joe Johnson hit some tough shots tonight. That's why he got paid this summer. I knew they were going to lay off me because of the way I shot it in the preseason."
- John Wall on Hawks star Joe Johnson' s play Saturday night.
Tue, Nov. 02, 2010 Celtics' Rondo, Lakers' Gasol named Players of the Week
TumugonBurahinNEW YORK -- The Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo and the Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Tuesday, October 26, through Sunday, October 31.
Here is a recap of the week for Rondo and Gasol:
Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Oct. 26 vs. Miami: Recorded four points, five rebounds and 17 assists in an 88-80 win over the Heat.
Oct. 27 @ Cleveland: Tallied 18 points, nine assists and three steals in a 95-87 loss to the Cavs.
Oct. 29 vs. New York: Scored 10 points to go along with 24 assists and 10 rebounds in a 105-101 win over the Knicks.
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Oct. 26 vs. Houston: Tallied 29 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a 112-110 win over the Jazz.
Oct. 29 @ Phoenix: Posted 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 114-106 Lakers win over the Suns.
Oct. 31 vs. Golden State: Scored 26 points to go with 12 rebounds and two assists in a 107-83 win over the Warriors.
Still-rehabbing T-Mac searching for his lost mojo in Motown
TumugonBurahin"I'm in a situation right now where I can't do nothing but watch," he said in a hallway later that night. "I'm still trying to get myself back to 100 percent. That's just what it is right now. I can't be choosy about it. I'm not at a point where I can try to close out games."
Said an Eastern Conference scout who caught Saturday's game: "He didn't look good at all. If you get up in him, he looks slow, like he's lost a step or two. He doesn't do anything to get himself open, to free himself to get the ball. I really don't know. It's tough because he had all those injuries and now he's trying to come back. I'll just have to continue to watch him. But he may have lost it. We'll see."
Resilient Hornets shake off uncertainty to rise once again Nov 8 2010
TumugonBurahinThe team's senior leaders had a plan, but it involved that old chestnut, changing the culture. And the changers were two unproven first-timers in their respective jobs -- Dell Demps as general manager, replacing Bower, and Monty Williams as coach, who stepped in for Bower after he had been forced to finish the season on the bench last season after Scott was fired. The Bugs then went 1-7 in the preseason.
Not exactly an easy sell.
"We were hurt because there was a lot of uncertainty," team president Hugh Weber said Sunday night. "Our fan base said 'We want to believe what you're saying. We want to trust what you're saying. But we're going to have to wait and see.' There was uncertainty about Chris, uncertainty about our coach, uncertainty about our ownership situation."
And then came the regular season, and one of those incredible things that happens in sports, when no one expects anything good to happen. The Hornets beat Milwaukee on opening night. Then they beat Denver. Then they beat the Spurs. Then they beat Houston. Then they beat Miami. And then they beat Milwaukee again. And so they sit today, 6-0, one of two unbeaten teams in the league (the other being the Lakers, a franchise about as far removed in every way from New Orleans as is possible).
It's just a start. But what a start.
Rookie Favors doing exactly what Nets ask of him Nov 13 2010
TumugonBurahinTalks with the Denver Nuggets are on hold until at least Dec. 15, when players that signed as free agents this summer are eligible to be traded. But the New Jersey Nets still want Carmelo Anthony.
And if they were to trade for Anthony, rookie Derrick Favors would still be the centerpiece of the deal.
.............................................................................
Meanwhile, Anthony is seemingly undistracted by all the trade talk surrounding him. He's averaging 25 points for the fifth time in six years, and (thus far) doing it more efficiently than he has in the past.
Defense becoming new calling card for Mavericks Nov 14 2010
TumugonBurahinAs the Mavericks sit around waiting for their little French buddy to save the day, an old Puerto Rican sparkplug has remerged from an early season slumber. Perhaps of greater importance than the Roddy Beaubois watch or J.J. Barea rebirth, especially for Rick Carlisle, is the arrival of another friend who they hope sticks around all season.
The name starts with D.
Defense is winning games in Dallas these days. Sure, Dirk Nowitzki continues to flash his All-NBA ways and Jason Kidd is sipping from the fountain of middle age. But when it comes to getting out of the gates with six wins in their first eight games, the Mavericks are clamping down.
Dallas' start is understandably overlooked when compared to those of the Hornets, Lakers, Jazz, Celtics and even the Heat. Well, especially the Heat. Still, don't sleep on the Mavericks.
Neither Nuggets nor Anthony willing to show their cards yet Nov 15 2010
TumugonBurahinThe Nuggets dream of drawing to an inside straight.
They know that Carmelo Anthony sits at the table, showing three kings, while they have 9-6-5. The odds are not good. But you play the hand to the end. So the Nuggets do everything they can, including clearing out their front office, if that will inch the odds just a little more in their favor. And they wait, and hope that, somehow, Anthony will change his mind and see how great it is here, and sign that $65 million extension that has been sitting there for six months, and play the next four years of his career in the Mile High.
But the odds are not good.
And Carmelo keeps his cards close to the vest.
"We're working," he told me seconds after the Nuggets rallied on Thursday night to beat the Lakers, handing Los Angeles its first loss of the season. "The Denver Nuggets are working. I'm happy right now. We're playing good. I'm waiting for my dogs to get back from being hurt, knees and all that. But we're good for the most part. I'm happy. I'm not worrying about nothing else. I'm just playing basketball right now."
Jazz flip the script in thrilling start to season Nov 15 2010
TumugonBurahinThey came from 22 points down to win at Miami, from 18 down to win at Orlando, from 11 down to win at Atlanta and, oh, might as well, from 16 down to win at Charlotte to cap the sweep. Yeah, that'll do for decent trips.
The Jazz are joyously illogical and thrillingly backward. They used rookie Al Jefferson, perimeter specialist Paul Millsap, coach-for-the-future Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams to win seven of the first 10 as the season of contradiction set an immediate tone. The team with one of the best home-court advantages in the league broke from the gate with success despite a road-heavy schedule. The stunning sweep through the southeast came immediately after a grinding-gears loss to the Warriors and an underwhelming victory over the Clippers. A comeback victory, naturally.
Remember the Jazz a year ago at this time, early in what would be a 53-29 regular season and a first-round victory over the Nuggets before being swept by the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals? Millsap had been re-signed when Utah matched the Trail Blazers' offer sheet and speculation was nonstop about how Sloan would find minutes for Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Millsap at power forward. Or how Sloan wouldn't.
Updated problem: Not enough bigs.
Mavericks made a late rally to hand Hornets first loss November 16, 2010
TumugonBurahinClutch fourth-quarter shooting from the Mavericks' version of the Big Three handed the Hornets their first loss of the season Monday in Dallas. Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki combined for 27 of the Mavs' 29 points in the final period, erasing a 10-point deficit and extending Dallas' winning streak to four games. The Hornets, who got off to a franchise-best 8-0 start, get another crack at the Mavericks on Wednesday in New Orleans.
QUOTABLE: "It was really intense with the Hornets coming in 8-0. ... For three minutes at the end of the game, we just said 'Who wants it more?' and we were that team tonight."
As a result, the Hornets (8-0) got tied for the 18th best start in the NBA.
-- Terry
The Hornets avenged Monday's loss to the Mavs November 17, 2010
TumugonBurahinChris Paul scored 21 points and tallied 11 assists, while David West made two steals in the final seconds to give the New Orleans Hornets a 99-97 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the New Orleans Arena. The Hornets avenged Monday's loss to the Mavs as Dallas gave New Orleans its only loss of the early season.
The Hornets went on a 27-7 run during the first 8:11 of the third quarter to go ahead 69-59. It helped New Orleans leap back into a game in which it looked totally out of sorts in the first half.
West stole the ball away from the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki with 2.7 seconds left, thwarting Dallas' chance to take the lead with the Hornets up 98-97. West was fouled, went 1-for-2 from the line and then intercepted the inbound pass by Tyson Chandler with 1.9 left to preserve the win.
Undermanned Oklahoma City come away with a hard fought 89-84 road win over the Boston.
TumugonBurahinNovember 19, 2010 11:20PM
The undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder held off a late fourth quarter charge to come away with a hard fought 89-84 road win over the Boston Celtics, despite scoring just 12 points in the final quarter. Russell Westbrook carried the Thunder with 31 points and 6 assists, as his team was missing All-Star Kevin Durant, and forward Jeff Green, both of whom sat out with ankle injuries. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 16 points, as Boston fell at home for the first time this season.
Oklahoma City hit their final field goal of the night on an Eric Maynor jumper with 9:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Thunder then proceeded to miss their final 13 shots of the night from the field, shooting an anemic 11 percent and scoring just 15 points during those final 12 minutes. Nonetheless, their scrappy defense limited the Celtics to just 15 points themselves in the frame, enabling the shorthanded squad to keep their lead until the final buzzer.
TURNING POINT: As the Celtics clawed their way back from a nine-point deficit in the closing moments, Glen Davis earned two chances to trim the deficit at the free throw line. Davis missed three of the four pivotal freebies with under three minutes remaining, missing a crucial opportunity while giving Oklahoma City a larger margin of error which helped them to eek out the win.
Spurs are 10-1 and off to their best start in franchise history November 20, 2010
TumugonBurahinTony Parker had 24 points and seven assists, and Tim Duncan became San Antonio's all-time lead scorer as the Spurs beat the Utah Jazz 94-82 on Friday night.
Duncan, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds, passed David Robinson to become the Spurs' franchise leader in points at 20,797. He also became San Antonio's all-time leader in games played with 988.
Deron Williams led the Jazz with 23 points and five assists.
The Worst Defeat the Best Tuesday November 23, 2010
TumugonBurahinThe Los Angeles Clippers, owning the worst record in the NBA and without two starters due to injury, took on the team with the best mark Monday night and accomplished what seemed like an impossible task, defeating the New Orleans Hornets, 99-95, at Staples Center.
Trailing by four points with two minutes remaining, the ...Clippers called a 20-second timeout, but it wasn't to congratulate each other for staying so close to the Hornets. Instead, they finished with a 10-2 run.
Monday November 22, 2010
TumugonBurahinThe Indiana Pacers held the Miami Heat to 39 percent shooting in a 93-77 victory Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Pacers were led by guard Brandon Rush and forward Danny Granger, who each scored 20 points. Forward LeBron James scored a game-high 25 points for the Heat and Chris Bosh added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Dwyane Wade finished with a season-low three points in one of the worst games of his career.
After trailing 22-19 in the first quarter, the Pacers outscored the Heat 35-19 in the second. The difference was the Pacers' ability to get to the basket, with Rush and Granger scoring on several easy layups. The outburst forced the Heat play catch-up, turning them into a 3-point shooting team.
Boston starters outscored Atlanta starters 68-27 Monday November 22, 2010
TumugonBurahinThe Celtics won 99-76 in Atlanta on Monday night to snap a two-game losing streak, but that score -- even as lopsided as it was -- did not tell the story. Boston ended this one early in a 39-13 first quarter that saw them out-rebound Atlanta 16-3, outscore the home team 20-0 in the paint, 7-0 on second-chance points, and 7-0 on fast break points. Point guard Rajon Rondo (left hamstring) missed his second straight game for Boston to no effect as the Celtics got double-doubles from Kevin Garnett (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Shaquille O'Neal (13 and 11). After a 6-0 start, Atlanta has lost six of eight games. This was the Hawks' second straight home loss to a team playing the second game in back-to-back situations. Boston lost 102-101 Sunday in Toronto. Dallas took a 18-point lead in Atlanta Saturday night, and held on to win 98-93.
There was no turning point, but a sequence at the very end of the first half summarized the tone. When Boston's Paul Pierce drove the left baseline, Atlanta's Al Horford blocked the shot and as it was about to go out of bounds off a Boston player, Garnett flew out of bounds and while making an athletic play he cupped the ball while airborne and whipped it to Ray Allen beyond the 3-point line. Allen made a 3-pointer for a 64-42 halftime lead. That was Atlanta's only blocked shot.
November 4, 2010
TumugonBurahinDirk Nowitzki scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks held on to beat the Denver Nuggets 102-101 Wednesday night. Carmelo Anthony missed a 22-foot jumper with 2.1 seconds left that would have won it for Denver.
With starting center Nene in street clothes because of a groin strain, the Nuggets had no regular rotation player taller than 6-foot-9. That led to several mismatches, including 7-foot Nowitzki being guarded by 6-foot-3 Chauncey Billups in the low block.
November 29, 2010 Sixth straight win for Dallas
TumugonBurahinA balanced offense, a determined defense and an injury-depleted opponent added up to an easy 101-91 victory for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday against the visiting Houston Rockets. It was the sixth straight win for Dallas, fueled by double-doubles from Dirk Nowitzki (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Shawn Marion (14 points, 10 boards), an explosive third quarter by Caron Butler and 11 assists from Jason Kidd. Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 17 points.
Dallas is now 9-0 when five or more players score in double figures. Nowitzki (20 points), Butler (19), Marion (14), J.J. Barea (11, all in the first half) and DeShawn Stevenson (10) shared the workload.
TURNING POINT: A seven-point halftime lead swelled to 18 when Butler scored 11 consecutive points for the Mavericks in the third quarter, capped by a 3-pointer at the 3:55 mark that gave Dallas a 77-59 advantage. Butler scored 13 in the quarter on 6-for-7 shooting. Kidd assisted on four of those buckets and had eight of his 11 dimes in the period.
December 1, 2010 Lakers have now lost a season-high three in a row
TumugonBurahinMemphis guard Mike Conley repeatedly took advantage of slower Los Angeles Lakers point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, scoring a season-high 28 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 98-96 win. A last-second shot by Ron Artest was blocked by Rudy Gay, his career-high sixth block of the game.
QUOTABLE: "It was fun. I always love being competitive. When everybody talks about Kobe is the best in the world, that's one of the funnest things you can do when you're 19 years old. To actually be able to go up and down with him, that's great for me. ... I just wanted to make the game tough on Kobe anyway I could. I knew he could shoot and what he could do in the post, but I just wanted to make it tough on him and that's what I did."
-- Grizzlies rookie guard Xavier Henry on starting against Kobe Bryant
One way the Grizzlies managed to overcome being dominated on the boards, 42-29, was their ability to hold onto the ball. The Grizzlies had a season-low seven turnovers, compared to 15 by the Lakers, which led to a 16-5 edge in points off of turnovers.
TURNING POINT: Fisher's jumper to start the third quarter tied the game at 51. But when Conley answered with one of his four 3-pointers, the Grizzlies went on a 13-2 run and never relinquished their lead.
HOT: Conley, the one Grizzlies player Memphis fans love to hate, turned in his best outing of the season. Conley made 10 of his 13 shots, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He also had three assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals as the Lakers simply had no answer for him.
December 1, 2010 San Antonio Spurs stay perfect on the road
TumugonBurahinTim Duncan put together his third career regular-season triple-double, recording 15 points, 18 rebounds and a career-high-tying 11 assists to help the San Antonio Spurs stay perfect on the road with a 118-98 victory against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Manu Ginobili added 27 points for the Spurs, who are 8-0 away from home this season. The Warriors wasted a 32-point night by Stephen Curry in suffering their ninth consecutive loss to San Antonio.
QUOTABLE: "He's Tim Duncan. That's what he does. He's been the heart and soul of our program for a long time. He's where it all begins, and after all this time, we probably take it for granted." -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
THE STAT: Individual plus-minus stats for single games can be at times unreliable, but Ginobili's stunning plus-31 in just 30:26 of action accurately summed up the ultra-efficient havoc he wreaked on the Warriors. In addition to his 27 points, Ginobili went 8-for-13 from the floor, 8-for-9 from the line and added six rebounds and five steals.
TURNING POINT: Duncan thought sure his night was done when he checked out with 2:34 left in the third quarter and the Spurs leading by 16 points. But San Antonio couldn't quite put Golden State away -- until Duncan came back with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter. The 12-time All-Star keyed a 13-7 run with four rebounds, two assists and a driving dunk to remove all doubt.
HOT: Ginobili blew the game open almost single-handedly with a 16-point third quarter. He opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers over the too-loose defense of Monta Ellis, and never stopped tormenting the Warriors' defense from that point. It was Ginobili's fifth consecutive game with 23 points or more points.
Allen's 3 helps Celtics hold off Blazers' charge Dec 01 2010
TumugonBurahinPaul Pierce outscored Ray Allen 28-6 in the first 47 minutes, 49 seconds against Portland on Wednesday night.
When Pierce had the ball in the final minute, though, he knew who should take the last shot.
"It's just trust. We talk about it all the time," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "and it works sometimes."
Allen missed his first five 3-point attempts before hitting one with 10.7 seconds left, and Boston held on to beat the Trail Blazers 99-95 despite blowing almost all of a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead.
"I was looking at the rim and the ball wouldn't fall for me. I was ready to take each next shot," Allen said. "There were a lot of last shots that would have been the last shot if they went down for us. It was an unfortunate predicament."
It was Boston's fifth straight victory, and the fifth straight loss for Portland.
Kevin Garnett had 17 points and eight rebounds despite missing most of the third quarter with a cut on his chin that needed five stitches. Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 10 assists as the Celtics built a 96-80 lead, then watched the Blazers score 15 in a row to make it a one-point game with 42 seconds left.
Pierce dribbled down the 24-second clock, then passed to Allen on the left side for the clinching 3.
"He's one of the greatest shooters of all times," Pierce said. "When you need him most, he's going to be there."
December 2, 2010 L.A.'s fourth loss in a row
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: Shane Battier scored 11 points in the final three minutes of regulation to lift the Houston Rockets to a 109-99 victory over the reeling Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at Toyota Center.
Kevin Martin paced Houston's attack after halftime, scoring 20 of his team-high 22 in the third and fourth quarters. Battier put up 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting, while Luis Scola scored 14 and grabbed nine rebounds.
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 27 points but shot just 10-for-24 from the field. Lamar Odom posted a double-double for the Lakers (13-6), scoring a season-high 25 points to go with his 11 boards.
Wednesday's loss was L.A.'s fourth in a row. The Lakers last lost four consecutive games in April 2007.
QUOTABLE: "The last five minutes [of the game] was our five minutes."
-- Rockets coach Rick Adelman
THE STAT: Odom and Pau Gasol did not score in the fourth quarter as the Lakers shot 5-for-22 (22.7 percent).
TURNING POINT: Houston (6-12) trailed 97-94 with less than three minutes remaining in the game when Battier connected on back-to-back 3-pointers from the corner to power a 15-2 run that sent the Rockets to their third straight home win.
Clippers brought the worst record in the NBA into a game and upset the team with best. December 2, 2010
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: For the second time in 10 days, the Los Angeles Clippers brought the worst record in the NBA into a game against the team with best. And once again, they posted a dramatic upset. This time it was a 90-85 victory Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center.
QUOTABLE: "We play well against teams that have a good record . We just have to compete like that all the time." - said Clippers guard Eric Gordon
THE STAT: The Clippers had lost 18 straight games against the Spurs dating back to 2006.
TURNING POINT: The Clippers closed the first half with an 18-2 run, turning an eight-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Blake Griffin then scored seven of his 31 points in the first 89 seconds of the second half to extend the lead to 13 and San Antonio never got closer than three.
QUOTE II: "My teammates did a great job of finding me in the right places," Griffin said. "It makes it so easy on me."
HOT: Griffin continues to carry the torch for the Clippers, shooting 14-for-21 and grabbing 13 rebounds. He scored on thunderous dunks, hit fall-away bank shots and managed to create shots in the paint.
NOT: After scoring in double figures in the first 14 games, San Antonio point guard Tony Parker scored just two points on 1-for-6 shooting, putting him in single digits for the third time in the last four games. George Hill substituted for Parker with 9:32 left in third quarter and Parker never returned.
December 3, 2010 LeBron against his former team
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: For one night, Miami's LeBron James proved he can still be the king of Cleveland basketball. James scored a game-high 38 points, passed for eight assists and almost single-handedly turned the much-hyped game against his former team into 48 minutes of garbage time. In the end, James and the Heat emerged with a 118-90 victory and the feeling that maybe this was the night they became the team everyone said they could be. Dwyane Wade added 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Heat (12-8). The Cavs (7-11) were led by Daniel Gibson's 21 points, including going 4-for-6 on 3-pointers.
QUOTABLE: "We came in here with one goal and that was to win a basketball game, and we did that. This was our most complete game of the season from start to finish."
-- LeBron James
THE STAT: Nine. That's how many turnovers the Heat committed for the entire game, including zero from James in 30 minutes. "It resulted in us getting easy baskets and being efficient," James said.
TURNING POINT: The Heat led 59-40 at halftime, but James truly put the game away when he scored 24 points in the third quarter (or one less than the Cavs) on a sizzling 10-for-12 shooting. It was among the finest quarters James ever played in Quicken Loans Arena.
QUOTABLE II: "I know we can play a lot better than we did tonight. Like I told the guys in there, I haven't lost any faith in them."
-- Cavs coach Byron Scott
HOT: James, Wade and Chris Bosh (15 points) shot a combined 31-for-52 from the field.
NOT: The Cavs' starting backcourt of Mo Williams (eight points) and Anthony Parker (three) combined to shoot just 3-for-12.
December 3, 2010 The Knicks (11-9) are off to their best start since the 2001-2002 season.
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: Amar'e Stoudemire dominated on the inside with 34 points and 10 rebounds and the rest of his teammates were hot from the outside as the New York Knicks defeated the New Orleans Hornets 100-92 on Friday night at the New Orleans Arena. The Knicks (11-9) are off to their best start since the 2001-2002 season.
QUOTABLE: "I try to be a dominant force. Coach (Mike D'Antoni) always told me ... just try to dominate so that's what I try to do. With that being said, with the energy I try to bring forth on the basketball court, with my communication skills and my leadership role, I try to provide some confidence and swagger to us as a team and it seems to be working well for us."
-- Stoudemire
THE STAT: The Knicks' 3-point shooting helped open things up for Stoudemire, and vice versa, as New York hit 13 3-pointers at a 43.3 percent clip.
TURNING POINT: The Knicks went on a 15-3 run near the end of the first half to give New York a 55-50 lead with 37.9 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Hornets never recovered.
HOT: Knicks point guard Raymond Felton outplayed Hornets point guard Chris Paul. Felton scored 17 points and tallied 13 assists in the win. Paul ended with 17 points and 10 assists, but looked lethargic for much of the game.
NOT: The Hornets and their ability to hold onto the basketball. New Orleans turned the ball over 19 times and the Knicks turned it 29 points.
December 4, 2010 Denver win their sixth straight
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: Carmelo Anthony had 26 points, J.R. Smith scored 21 as the Denver Nuggets survived a late rally to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 to win their sixth straight.
THE STAT: The Nuggets made only 10 shots in the first half -- exactly half of the Clippers' made shots -- but led 49-48 at the break thanks to five 3-pointers and a 24-7 edge at the free-throw line. They outscored the Clippers 45-20 from the line in the game.
TURNING POINT: Ty Lawson hit a 63-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter, had a steal and a layup and hit a 3-pointer to give Denver an 89-80 lead with 8:51 left in the game. The Clippers cut the lead to one later in the period but never went ahead again.
QUOTABLE II: "How many free throws did they shoot? That says it all right now. I won't say any more."
-- Clippers rookie Blake Griffin
HOT: Griffin had 16 points and 11 rebounds to stretch his double-double streak to seven games. In his six previous games entering Friday Griffin averaged 29.8 points and 12.3 rebounds.
NOT: Nuggets forward Al Harrington had his third straight subpar offensive game. He missed all four of his shots and scored just three points overall. He is averaging 5 points over his last three.
December 4, 2010 The Heat (13-8) have now won four straight, snapping the Hawks' five-game winning streak.
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 89-77 Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Forward Chris Bosh led all scorers with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Al Horford led the Hawks with 22 points and nine rebounds. Miami led by as many as 17, but was able to withstand a late charge by the Hawks. The Heat (13-8) have now won four straight, snapping the Hawks' five-game winning streak.
QUOTABLE: "You talk about toughness from adversity, well that shows up in a game like this.You start to develop a little bit more toughness, a little more resolve. That happens when you do have tough times." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of recovering from the early-season struggles
THE STAT: The Heat's Big Three of Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 75 of the 89 points. Miami's bench only scored 12 points, but it wasn't needed because of the strong production from the core of the starting lineup.
TURNING POINT: The Hawks had trimmed the lead to 74-72 late in the fourth quarter, but the Heat turned up the defensive pressure. It resulted in a 10-0 run that ended any chances of a comeback. The keys during the spurt were a blocked shot by Joel Anthony and steal by Dwyane Wade. Included in the run was a thunderous dunk by James that ignited the crowd.
QUOTABLE II: "I think all three of us are starting to feel comfortable with our roles. "We're starting to understand what it takes to win some games." - Wade on the team's improved chemistry.
HOT: Bosh has arguably been the Heat's most consistent player during this winning streak. He shot 12 of 22 from the field in 39 minutes. His play of late should silence those who criticized him during the early portion of the season.
NOT: Maurice Evans was unspectacular in replacing injured guard Joe Johnson in the starting lineup. Evans was just 1 of 6 from field and struggled when defending Wade. His play must improve quickly considering Johnson is out at least a month after undergoing elbow surgery earlier this week.
December 5, 2010 9th consecutive win for Dallas
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: The Dallas Mavericks won their ninth consecutive game on Saturday night, 105-103, against the host Sacramento Kings -- but it certainly wasn't easy. The Kings led for most of the night and held an advantage of 99-90 with 5:24 left in the contest. Then Dallas, with veteran point guard Jason Kidd guarding Kings star Tyreke Evans over the final stretch, completely shut down the Kings offense. Dirk Nowitzki (25 points) and Jason Terry (23 points) led the Dallas offense while Evans led the Kings (25 points). The Kings have lost 13 of their last 14 games.
QUOTABLE: "We were not in a good defensive rhythm all night . . . but for five minutes in the fourth quarter we played Mavericks basketball. And that's what got us the win." --Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry on the last five minutes of the game
THE STAT: Forty-eight of the first 50 points for Sacramento were scored by three players -- Evans, Donte Green and DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings led 50-46 with about five minutes left in the second quarter at that point.
TURNING POINT: Dallas trailed 99-90 with 5:24 left in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks defense took over. Terry scored four points to cut the lead to 99-94 with 4:44 left and he eventually tied the game at 101 with a powerful slam (1:13 remaining). Dallas took the lead for good when Tyson Chandler sunk two free throws with 53 seconds left in the contest.
QUOTABLE II: "I thought the group that started played fantastically well -- we were moving the ball, we were hitting shots, we went toe-to-toe and got the better of a great team for most of the game. It was really nice to see that."
--Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal
HOT: Nowitzki missed just four shots all night, hitting 11-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. He did most of his damage in the second quarter, scoring 15 points as the Mavericks dug out of a whole against the Kings.
NOT: Kings forward Carl Landry made 1-of-6 field goals in 28 minutes off the bench. He also turned the ball over on the baseline with three seconds remaining as the Kings were trying to tie the game.
December 9, 2010 9th straight for Boston
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: Kevin Garnett converted a lob pass from Rajon Rondo with 1.4 seconds for a layup and gave the Celtics a 101-100 win over the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. The win was the ninth straight for the Celtics (18-4) and ended the Sixers' (7-15) five-game win streak at home. The Sixers are now 1-11 in games decided by 10 or less points. Veteran Ray Allen scored a game-high 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from outside the arc. The Sixers had seven players in double figures for the game including a team-high 19 points from Jodie Meeks.
QUOTABLE: "I keep saying that it's going to be scary when we get healthy. If we continue to win with the bodies that we're putting out there -- I really can't wait for February and March when we're healthy. We have to grind these wins out like we did tonight."
-- Celtics forward Paul Pierce
THE STAT: The Sixers were able to stay in the game despite shooting 45.7 percent from the field (37-for-81) due to 15 offensive rebounds, including eight from Elton Brand.
TURNING POINT: The Celtics ended the third quarter on an 11-0 run that gave Boston an 81-80 lead. The Celtics also had a 13-6 run at the end of the first half that gave them a 56-55 lead.
TURNING POINT II: Allen hit a 3-point shot with 1:04 left to give the Celtics a 98-97 lead. With :04 left on the shot clock, Allen found himself wide open in front of the Sixers' bench and hit nothing but net. The Sixers did score after Allen's shot but it set the stage for Garnett's heroics.
QUOTABLE II: "Obviously we don't want Ray Allen knocking down that three at that period of time. We were scrambling and fighting like crazy and somehow he shook loose. I told the guys we were down one and that's not the game."
--Sixers head coach Doug Collins on Allen's late 3-point shot
THE STAT II: The Celtics shot 7-for-12 from beyond the 3-point line, including 3-for-6 by guard Nate Robinson. The Sixers were 9-for-19, including 4-for-5 by Lou Williams, but it wasn't enough to secure a win as has been the case all season. In games the opponent has shot 40 percent or better from beyond the 3-point line the Sixers are just 1-7.
HOT: Rondo was 9-for-14 from the field and added 14 assists as he was permitted to easily drive the lane the entire night.
NOT: Andre Iguodala scored 14 points but struggled from the field as he made just 5-of-14 shots on the night.
December 9, 2010 lob pass from Rajon Rondo with 1.4 seconds for a layup and gave the Celtics a 101-100 win over the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. The win was the ninth straight for the Celtics (18-4) and ended the Sixers' (7-15) five-game win streak at home. The Sixers are now 1-11 in games decided by 10 or less points. Veteran Ray Allen scored a game-high 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from outside the arc. The Sixers had seven players in double figures for the game including a team-high 19 points from Jodie Meeks.
TumugonBurahinQUOTABLE: "I keep saying that it's going to be scary when we get healthy. If we continue to win with the bodies that we're putting out there -- I really can't wait for February and March when we're healthy. We have to grind these wins out like we did tonight."
-- Celtics forward Paul Pierce
THE STAT: The Sixers were able to stay in the game despite shooting 45.7 percent from the field (37-for-81) due to 15 offensive rebounds, including eight from Elton Brand.
TURNING POINT: The Celtics ended the third quarter on an 11-0 run that gave Boston an 81-80 lead. The Celtics also had a 13-6 run at the end of the first half that gave them a 56-55 lead.
TURNING POINT II: Allen hit a 3-point shot with 1:04 left to give the Celtics a 98-97 lead. With :04 left on the shot clock, Allen found himself wide open in front of the Sixers' bench and hit nothing but net. The Sixers did score after Allen's shot but it set the stage for Garnett's heroics.
QUOTABLE II: "Obviously we don't want Ray Allen knocking down that three at that period of time. We were scrambling and fighting like crazy and somehow he shook loose. I told the guys we were down one and that's not the game."
--Sixers head coach Doug Collins on Allen's late 3-point shot
THE STAT II: The Celtics shot 7-for-12 from beyond the 3-point line, including 3-for-6 by guard Nate Robinson. The Sixers were 9-for-19, including 4-for-5 by Lou Williams, but it wasn't enough to secure a win as has been the case all season. In games the opponent has shot 40 percent or better from beyond the 3-point line the Sixers are just 1-7.
HOT: Rondo was 9-for-14 from the field and added 14 assists as he was permitted to easily drive the lane the entire night.
NOT: Andre Iguodala scored 14 points but struggled from the field as he made just 5-of-14 shots on the night.
El Heat Beats LA
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: The Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 94-88 Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak. Heat forward Chris Bosh led the way with 24 points and nine rebounds. Guard Dwyane Wade scored 20 points while LeBron James added 19. It was the Lakers' first loss since the All-Star break, snapping an eight-game winning streak. Guard Kobe Bryant led four players in double figures with 24 points.
TURNING POINT: With the score tied at 88, Wade stole the ball from Bryant with 1:32 remaining. Wade then threw an outlet pass to James, who finished with a slam dunk to put the Heat ahead. The Heat never relinquished the lead.
GOOD MOVE: With the Heat struggling in close games, Spoelstra turned things over to Wade in the fourth quarter. James had missed a couple game-winning shots during the five-game losing streak, but Wade was more effective. He scored eight of his points in the fourth quarter, including a short jumper that gave the Heat a four-point lead.
BAD MOVE: The Lakers experienced questionable shot selection in the fourth quarter, especially Bryant and Ron Artest. Trailing by two, Bryant took a 3-pointer with several seconds left on the shot clock. Artest forced a couple shots, and missed a point-blank layup that would've tied the game.
NOTABLE: The Heat improved to 2-9 against the league's top five teams. That list includes the Lakers, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. Both of the Heat's wins have come against the Lakers.
Melo Winner over Grizzlies
TumugonBurahinTHE FACTS: Carmelo Anthony drained a 19-foot jump shot from the left wing with 0.5 seconds left to lift the New York Knicks to a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony led the Knicks with 31 points and Amare Stoudemire added 26 to prevent a comeback attempt by the Grizzlies, who overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to tie the game at 108 with 14.2 seconds to go.
Celtics limits Bucks at 56 points.>>> March 13, 2011
TumugonBurahinDefense is really the best offense.
Lakers vs Suns: Triple overtime I wished Phoenix was the winner.
TumugonBurahinIn a game between the Lakers and Suns that featured nearly everything, the Lakers, despite leading by 21 points in regulation, managed to dodge several bullets and come up with key baskets late as they slugged their way to a 139-137 triple-overtime victory Tuesday at Staples Center.