Don’t even get me started on ESPN’s ‘Greatest Shooting Guards Ever’ list.
Lakers 117, Toronto 108
Good news/Bad news for Laker fans. Good news: You got a bounce-back win at home. Bad news: You’re about to embark on a 4-game road trip against stiff Western Conference competition. Good news: You’ve regained the top spot out West. Bad news: Andrew Bynum ran on a treadmill for the first time in two months….today. At this point…I dunno…can he really help?? He’s just now running? That would worry me as a fan but I know Laker fans and their swaggers would dismiss that argument in a heartbeat. So why try.
I’d say an apathetic performance by the Lakers, their second in a row. I think we might be getting a glimpse into this Laker team at their worst. Give it to Toronto they are a decent team but only beating them at home by 9 without Chris Bosh…a bit on the unacceptable side if you ask me. It’s not as if the Raptors were raining down threes, they only hit 7. TJ Ford had 28 points and we all know he can’t shoot. And how do you let Rasho Nesterovic almost get 20???? We’ll see what LA does against Chris Paul later this week. It could be ugly.
Portland 103, Minnesota 96
Bet Minnesota isn’t loving that Roy-for-Foye trade so much?
This is a game we wouldn’t have won if it weren’t for Brandon Roy. It wasn’t pretty, nor was it just the Blazers outright playing bad. Just a rugged road game in which we pulled it out down the stretch. After Al Jefferson’s jumper with 6 minutes left to put Minny up 88-87…Roy took over. He drove and got a layup then dropped a dime to Big Joel and Blake. All of a sudden we’re up 93-88. Roy had a hand in 13 of our last 18 points: either scoring himself or giving an assist. That’s valuable right there.
I don’t like that LMA had as many rebounds as Blake (2). James Jones and Martell atoned for Jack and Trout’s off nights. Big Joel makes me giddy at the prospect of him being our BACKUP to Oden next year.
Chicago 108, Utah 96
Really Utah??? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this at all. As great of a home team that the Jazz are (28-3) they are equally horrific on the road (14-20). That puts them in the elite company with Philadelphia (13-19) and the Wizards (13-18). Yikes.
I guess I’m more angry at the Jazz for losing to the Bulls and keeping them in the Eastern Conference playoff “hunt”. The parentheses are there because a team is more than likely going to end up backing in and then getting run over by the Celtics. And as a basketball enthusiast I don’t feel like watching Larry Hughes and Ben Gordon jack up threes while Boylan stands over there looking as useless as Jack Tunney.
Story of the game is Okur and Boozer flip-flopping numbers. Mehmet had 22 and 18 while Booze only had 10 and 9. Also the Bulls had 48 points in the paint and made 50% for their threes. Plus Utah’s X-factors (Harpring, Milsap, Korver) combined for 13 points and Korver was scoreless. Not so good.
Phoenix 132, Memphis 111
Again…definitely can’t be much emphasis on a home blowout over the lowly Grizzlies…but all the Suns need to do the rest of the year is a) see improvement and b) gain confidence with each game. That’s it. Win, lose or draw as long as they see both of those things they’ll be good money when the postseason starts. The big news for Phoenix: 18 points from Mr. Giricek and none of them were threes.
Washington 105, Milwaukee 97
Episode 1 of the Noodles Nick Young show. He penetrated the Bucks at will, dunking on Bogut and getting And-1’s. And he’s not even known for doing that; the biggest thing people loved coming out of college was his fadeaway J he could get off on anyone. That should tell you how bad the Bucks are right now. On the low this year’s rookie class is finding ways to contribute left and right. Lately we’ve seen career nights from Julian Wright, Al Thornton and tonight Nick Young. The league is in good hands.
Indiana 114, Seattle 107
All you need to know about this one is that Mike Dunleavy absolutely destroyed the Sonics. 32 points on 10-16 shooting.