All you
really need to know is that the LA Lakers are doing almost as bad as the
Sacramento-but-soon-to-be-Seattle Kings. That should be enough to send shivers
down any Laker fan’s spine.
And since
I’m a fan of Pau Gasol, I want Jerry Buss to get off his @ss and just trade the
big fella. I like Gasol. Despite what his numbers suggest, I still think he is
one of the top 5 low post operators in the globe. Bar none.
Just give
him a Spain jersey and you’ll see.
But with the
Lakers’ purple and gold? With Dwight Howard? With an aging Steve Nash? With a
stubborn-as-hell Mike D’Antoni? With Kobe simmering with anger?
With that
kind of environment, Gasol is just one thing – a scapegoat.
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| Pau Gasol, and his fans, cannot take it anymore. Just trade the big fella. (image by Mark J. Terrill/AP) |
And I
personally don’t mind that, as long as he shipped out to a better place before
the deadline.
The only
real concern with Pau is that, well, he’s not exactly a spring chicken. Currently,
he hasn’t been as effective as he was in his two championship seasons with LA. With
Dwight Howard hogging most of the middle, there’s hardly any place from where
Gasol can operate efficiently. He shoots more jumpers now compared to before, ANS
now he’s literally a step slower EVERYWHERE he is.
I’m no Laker
fan, but I’ve always been big on Gasol. He’s been battered and bruised in LA. He
was traded… and then NOT traded. He languished on the bench (undeservingly so)
because of D’Antoni’s genius. He doesn’t deserve this maltreatment.
So, Mr.
Bust, er, Buss. Do your team and Gasol a favor by just cutting him loose.
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):
January
22
Cleveland 95, Boston 90
Kyrie Irving
started strong and put the Cavaliers on his back down the stretch to carry them
to victory. Irving scored 40 and tallied 11 of the Cavaliers' final 13 points
to push Cleveland past the reeling Boston Celtics, 95-90, at Quicken Loans
Arena on Tuesday. He missed just two shots in scoring 19 first quarter points
and shot 16-of-24 for the night to help Cleveland rebound off its rough 1-4
road trip. Tristan Thompson followed with 21 points and nine rebounds in the
victory. With the defeat, the inconsistent Celtics have tied a season-worst
with their fourth consecutive loss following a six-game winning streak. Rajon
Rondo scored a team-best 17 points along with 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Paul Pierce scored 12, but shot a miserable 3-for-15 from the field. Kevin
Garnett tallied 16 points in defeat.
Detroit 105, Orlando 90
Andre
Drummond and Jason Maxiell each recorded double-doubles with 11 points and 11
rebounds, helping the Detroit Pistons past the struggling Orlando Magic, 105-90,
on Tuesday. Brandon Knight led Detroit with 18 points and Greg Monroe chipped
in 16 points and six boards for the Pistons, who have won two straight
following a loss to the Knicks in London last Thursday. Will Bynum and Rodney
Stuckey donated 15 and 14 points, respectively. J.J. Redick scored a game-high
26 points on 9- of-10 shooting and netted five 3-pointers for the Magic, who
have lost three straight and 14 of their last 16 games overall. Jameer Nelson
contributed 14 points and nine assists in the defeat.
Milwaukee 110, Philadelphia 102
Ersan
Ilyasova scored 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds and Brandon Jennings had
25 points and seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-102 win over
the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Monta Ellis scored 18
points to go with 10 assists and Mike Dunleavy added 11 points off the bench
for the Bucks, who have won three straight. Evan Turner had 23 points and seven
assists and Spencer Hawes added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who
have dropped 19 of their last 26 games overall. Nick Young scored 20 points off
the bench in the setback.
Oklahoma City 109, LA Clippers 97
Kevin Durant
scored 13 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Oklahoma
City Thunder to a 109-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in a
battle of the NBA's elite. Durant was seemingly unconscious in the final frame,
converting 5-of-6 field goal attempts and 3-of-3 from behind the arc over the
final 12 minutes. The reining three-time scoring champion also grabbed seven
rebounds and dished out seven assists for the Thunder, who improved to an
NBA-best 33-9 with the win. Russell Westbrook added 26 points to go with six
assists and Serge Ibaka scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards in the
triumph. Blake Griffin notched a double-double with 31 points and 11 rebounds,
Jamal Crawford scored 14 points and Eric Bledsoe added 12 points for the
Clippers, who played without All-Star point guard Chris Paul for the fourth
time in six games. Paul, who injured his right knee at the end of Los Angeles'
104-101 loss to the Magic on Jan. 12, played in the team's last two games. Paul
scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists in Saturday's win over Washington,
but struggled in Monday's setback to Golden State, scoring just four points on
1- of-7 shooting. With the loss, the Clippers (32-11) fall a 1/2 game behind
the San Antonio Spurs (33-11) in the Western Conference standings.
January
23
Atlanta 104, Charlotte 92
Josh Smith
stepped up for the injury-ravaged Hawks, tallying 30 points, 13 rebounds and
eight assists, as Atlanta downed the Charlotte Bobcats, 104-92, to complete a
four-game season sweep. Kyle Korver connected on 5-of-6 from 3-point-range en
route to 21 points and Ivan Johnson finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds in
the victory for the Hawks. Despite missing Al Horford, Devin Harris and Zaza
Pachulia, who all sat due to various ailments, Atlanta was able to capture its
second straight win and eighth consecutive over Charlotte. The Bobcats
continued their miserable play at home, with their starters only managing a
combined 31 points in the team's 16th consecutive loss at Time Warner Cable
Arena. Ramon Sessions and Ben Gordon scored 27 and 15 points, respectively, off
the bench in the Bobcats' third straight defeat.
Miami 123, Toronto 116 (OT)
Dwyane Wade
scored 35 points and LeBron James recorded a triple-double, as the Miami Heat
fended off the Toronto Raptors, 123-116, in overtime. James finished with 31
points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but missed a shot at the buzzer that could
have given the Heat the victory in regulation. Wade then scored six points in
the extra session and Miami ended the game on a 13-2 run -- highlighted by two
3-pointers from Ray Allen -- to win its third straight game. Allen poured in 18
points off the bench, while Chris Bosh chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds in
the Heat's ninth straight win over Toronto. The Raptors, playing their third
overtime game in a week, shot 13-of-25 from 3-point range in regulation, but
just 1-of-6 thereafter. They had seven players score in double figures, led by
Alan Anderson's 20-point effort.
Chicago 85, Detroit 82
Jimmy Butler
led six Chicago players in double- figures with 18 points to help the Bulls
edge the Detroit Pistons, 85-82, on Wednesday. Butler also grabbed nine
rebounds and dished out four assists for the Bulls, who have won five of their
last six. Carlos Boozer scored 16 points, Taj Gibson scored 14, and Nate
Robinson and Richard Hamilton each added 11 points in the triumph. Joakim Noah
scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds for Chicago. Brandon
Knight scored 13 points to go with seven assists, Kyle Singler scored 12
points, and Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey finished with 11 points apiece
for the Pistons, who had won two in a row entering the contest.
Denver 105, Houston 95
Ty Lawson
posted 21 points, seven assists and four rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets
past the reeling Houston Rockets, 105-95, at Toyota Center. Wilson Chandler
followed with 20 points off the bench, while Danilo Gallinari poured in 18
points and Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee each netted 14 for the Nuggets, who
have won two straight and eight of 10 overall. With the win, Nuggets coach
George Karl notched his 1,100th career victory. James Harden scored a game-high
23 points for Houston, which also received 15 points from Carlos Delfino in its
ninth loss in 10 games.
Memphis 106, LA Lakers 93
Darrell
Arthur scored a season-high 20 points off the bench as the Memphis Grizzlies added
to the Los Angeles Lakers' January woes with a 106-93 victory at FedExForum.
Arthur added nine rebounds to help the Grizzlies dominate the glass en route to
dealing the reeling Lakers a fourth straight loss and its first seven-game road
skid since the 2004-05 season. Memphis finished with a 52-34 advantage on the
boards, with Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph each posting double-doubles in addition
to a 19- point, six-assist effort from Mike Conley. The Lakers fell to 2-10 for
the month despite Kobe Bryant's 29 points. Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol
recorded 15 and 13 points, respectively, in the loss.
Brooklyn 91, Minnesota 83
Not even a
decade's worth of losing in Minnesota could slow down the surging Brooklyn
Nets. Brook Lopez scored a game-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and
the Nets captured their first win in Minneapolis since 2002 with a 91-83
victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams each
netted 18 points, while Williams dished out eight assists in the Nets' third
straight victory. C.J. Watson added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench
in just 20 minutes of play. Brooklyn improved to 12-2 under the leadership of
interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who has the Nets within a half-game of the
Atlantic Division-leading New York Knicks. Andrei Kirilenko tallied a team-high
with 15 points, Dante Cunningham followed with 14 off the bench and Jose Juan
Barea scored 11 with eight assists for the Timberwolves, who have lost seven of
their last eight contests.
San Antonio 106, New Orleans 102
Tony Parker
totaled 24 points and 13 assists and was instrumental in a late run that pushed
the San Antonio Spurs over the New Orleans Hornets, 106-102, at AT&T
Center. Tiago Splitter, taking control down low in the absence of Tim Duncan,
had 25 points and seven rebounds, while Stephen Jackson and Danny Green added
15 and 12 points, respectively, in the Spurs' sixth straight victory. The
Hornets, who beat the Spurs earlier this month and had won three of four coming
in, were ahead 86-85 at the midway point of the fourth quarter, but saw San
Antonio score 16 of the next 19 points to build a double-digit cushion. Greivis
Vasquez recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists to lead New
Orleans, which got 17 points from Eric Gordon and 16 from Ryan Anderson.
Utah 92, Washington 88
Paul Millsap
scored 16 points to go with 15 rebounds and the Utah Jazz held off a late
Wizards rally to take a 92-88 decision over Washington on Wednesday. Al
Jefferson notched a double-double as well with 11 points and 10 boards. Despite
shooting just 38.1 percent in the second half, the Jazz were able to hold on
for their fourth consecutive victory and sixth in seven games. Gordon Hayward
added 15 points off the bench for Utah, which received 11 points and six
assists from Jamaal Tinsley and 12 points from Randy Foye in the win. The
Wizards battled back from a 22-point first half hole, but ultimately fell short
in attempting to finish with a winning record on their five-game road trip.
Martell Webster scored a team-best 15 points and John Wall finished with 14
points along with eight assists in the defeat.
Portland 100, Indiana 80
LaMarcus
Aldridge scored 27 points and J.J. Hickson recorded a double-double, as the
Portland Trail Blazers ended a six- game losing streak with a convincing 100-80
victory over the Indiana Pacers. The Blazers shot 56 percent from the field
against the league's stingiest defense and had all five starters score in
double figures. Hickson finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, Damian Lillard
netted 20 points and Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews each had 10. Paul George
and David West logged 22 and 21 points, respectively, for the Pacers, who were
coming off a road win at Memphis on Monday.
Phoenix 106, Sacramento 96
Luis Scola
scored 21 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Phoenix
Suns to a 106-96 win over the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Michael
Beasley added 19 points and Goran Dragic added 12 points and 11 assists for the
Suns, who won on the road for just the fourth time this season. Tyreke Evans
scored 16 points and DeMarcus Cousins added a double-double with 15 points and
15 boards for the Kings, losers in three of their last four.
Golden State 104, Oklahoma City 99
Stephen
Curry posted 31 points and seven assists as the Golden State Warriors held off
the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-99, on Wednesday. David Lee added 22 points and
12 rebounds, while Klay Thompson poured in 19 points for the Warriors, who have
won three straight. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 33 points with nine assists
and five rebounds for Oklahoma City, which fell for the second time in three
games. Kevin Martin followed with 16 points while Serge Ibaka and Kendrick
Perkins each dropped in 12 in defeat.
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| Jarrett Jack and Harrison Barnes celebrate as the Warriors continue to impress midway through the 2012-2013 NBA regular season. (image by Ben Margot/AP) |
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