The 2013 NBA
All-Star Weekend is almost upon us, but that’s not really what’s getting me
excited. What I’m really looking forward to is the return of former MVP, and
one of my personal favorite players from this current generation, Derrick Rose.
Rose’s
impending comeback reminds me of one big reason I love sports – the stories
behind the athletes, the underlying tales of each persona, the struggles
players go through before they become winners.
I believe
that when Rose returns, he’ll be even better than before. I believe that the
Bulls will be better than before. And I believe that his story – the story of
one guy choosing to be his hometown’s hero – will be one of the greatest the
NBA has ever seen.
 |
| When Derrick Rose returns, I suspect he'll be even stronger than before. (image by Garrett W. Elwood/Getty Images) |
In the
meantime, let’s have our fill of Derrick Rose with this nice piece from
Bleacher Report’s Kyle Ramos:
Derrick Rose's Return Will Deepen Chicago
Bulls Bench Mob
"The anticipation continues to build as
the Chicago Bulls are patiently waiting for the return of their superstar,
Derrick Rose.
Rose, who has been out since last summer
with a torn ACL suffered in the first game of the playoffs, has been working
and rehabbing his way back into basketball shape and is progressing closer and
closer to suiting back up in the black and red.
The Bulls, in the meantime, have been
enjoying a surprisingly strong season even without their leading scorer and
floor general. Chicago has benefited from the play of guys like All-Stars
Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, as well as its bench mob.
Coming off the bench for Chicago are players
like Nate Robinson, Jimmy Butler, and Taj Gibson and all of them have really
helped to fill the scoring void left behind by Rose. This depth will only
become greater, though, once Rose does return.
Having a healthy Rose in the starting lineup
would mean that the Bulls would be overflowing with depth at point guard, since
they also have Kirk Hinrich, Robinson, and Marquis Teague on the roster.
One of the biggest impacts of all may be
that Hinrich can become much more effective off of the bench, not having to
play starter-type minutes. He would be a great backup for Rose with his veteran
savvy and playmaking abilities being available for small spurts.
Additionally, Robinson would have more
freedom to play at either guard spot providing more depth for a position where
the Bulls also have Richard Hamilton and Marco Bellinelli.
Besides the added help at the guard spots,
there's reason to believe that young gun Jimmy Butler would benefit a lot from
playing with Rose. Since Butler was used sparingly last year in an
injury-plagued season for Rose, the two did not get a lot of on court time
together.
Now that Butler seems to have developed more
comfort on the court, he has been getting a big increase in minutes and has produced
well as a result. It would be exciting to think about how much better he could
get offensively with a guy like Rose drawing so much attention with the ball,
as well.
The same could be said for Belinelli or
Daequon Cook, who could be great options to kick out to with Rose garnering all
of the defensive focus.
Having a healthy Rose also helps to boost
the play of the starting lineup. With a starting five last season of Rose,
Hamilton, Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Noah, the Bulls had a +27 point differential
as well as a 10-3 record when using that lineup. (via 82games.com) This season,
the Bulls have been primarily using the same lineup, except with Hinrich
instead of Rose. This five man group for this season has yielded slightly worse
results with a +26 point differential and a 13-10 record. (via 82games.com)
With a starting five that functions better,
the pressure comes off of the bench to perform at such a high level each and
every night. This allows the bench mob to play their roles to the highest ability
that they can and help the team exactly how they need to.
If someone's a spot up shooting specialist,
then they can focus solely on that skill and know that the starting five can
take care of business when the crucial moments come in a game. Having a mental
attitude that focuses on a certain aspect of your own game can help you to not
try and do too much and prevents a lot of turnovers or bad shot attempts.
As a whole, Chicago's bench is already a
pretty solid group of players who have proven that they can really rise to the
occasion of playing without the team's best player. Once Rose does make his
highly anticipated return, though, the bench and the entire roster will benefit
greatly and become even deeper than before."
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network and the Associated Press):
February
8
Final Score: LA Lakers 100, Charlotte 93
Charlotte,
NC (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Lakers once again dug themselves a huge
hole against a lowly Charlotte Bobcats team, but like December's meeting, found
a way to rally from the jaws of defeat. Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 20 points
in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles overcame a 20-point deficit to down
Charlotte, 100-93, on Friday. Bryant also tallied eight assists with seven
rebounds to prevent the Lakers from a second straight defeat. Earl Clark
chipped in 17 points and 10 boards, while Dwight Howard came through with 12
points and 11 rebounds to help Los Angeles to its seventh win in nine games.
The Bobcats, losers of six straight, blew an 18-point lead in a loss to the
Lakers back on Dec. 18 at Staples Center. Byron Mullens and Gerald Henderson
each put forth double-doubles for Charlotte, with both scoring 20 points.
Mullens tallied 12 rebounds and Henderson had 10.
Final Score: Toronto 100, Indiana 98 (OT)
Indianapolis,
IN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay's go-ahead jumper with 1.7 seconds remaining in
overtime lifted the Raptors to their second triumph in Indianapolis this
season, a 100-98 victory that ended the Pacers' 15-game home winning streak.
Gay finished with 23 points and DeMar DeRozan had 22 to help Toronto, which
dealt Indiana a 74-72 defeat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Nov. 13, halt a
two-game skid. Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas notched double-doubles in the
win, with Johnson amassing 14 points and 14 rebounds and Valanciunas pulling
down 13 boards in addition to 14 points. Johnson also sent the game into extra
time with a putback off a Gay miss an eyelash before the final horn sounded in
regulation. The Central Division- leading Pacers suffered their first setback
at home since a 92-89 ousting by Denver on Dec. 7 despite a 30-point night out
of David West and a 26-point, 14-rebound performance from Paul George. Indiana
also had a season-high five- game overall win streak halted.
Final Score: Washington 89, Brooklyn 74
Washington,
DC (Sports Network) - Nene poured in 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to
lead the Washington Wizards to an 89-74 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
Nene had half of his points during a dominant second quarter, when the Wizards
held a 30-11 scoring advantage. John Wall added 15 points and nine assists and
Martell Webster dropped in 16 points for the Wizards, who have won three
straight games for just the second time all season. Deron Williams scored 20
points, Joe Johnson scored 14 and Brook Lopez added 13, but the trio finished
just 16-for-43 from the field.
Final Score: New Orleans 111, Atlanta 100
Atlanta, GA
(Sports Network) - Greivis Vasquez recorded the first triple- double of his
career to lead the New Orleans Hornets past the Atlanta Hawks, 111-100, at
Philips Arena. Vasquez continued filling the stat sheet with 21 points, 12
assists and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won two in a row and snapped
a four-game road skid. Eric Gordon netted a game-high 27 points, while Ryan
Anderson and Robin Lopez chipped in 19 and 17 points, respectively, as New
Orleans shot 52 percent from the field and overcame the Hawks' 13 3-pointers.
Josh Smith added 23 points, eight helpers and six boards, while Jeff Teague
totaled 21 points and nine assists, in the loss, the club's third in four
games.
Final Score: Cleveland 119, Orlando 108
Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving recorded 24 points, eight assists and six
rebounds, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-108 win over the Orlando
Magic on Friday. Marreese Speights scored 18 points off the bench, including a
perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line, while Tristan Thompson had 16 points
for the Cavaliers, who have won three straight games. Nikola Vucevic had a
career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who have lost 12 games in
a row. Arron Afflalo and Andrew Nicholson scored 25 and 23 points,
respectively, while Jameer Nelson registered 15 points and 13 assists.
Final Score: Detroit 119, San Antonio 109
Auburn
Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Greg Monroe scored 26 points and pulled down 16
rebounds and Brandon Knight scored 24 points, as the Detroit Pistons earned a
hard-fought 119-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Charlie
Villanueva came off the bench and contributed 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting from
behind the arc for the Pistons, who ended a three-game losing streak. Kyle
Singler added 14 points and seven boards and Rodney Stuckey donated 11 points,
four assists and six rebounds in the victory. Tony Parker had 31 points and
dished out eight helpers for the Spurs, who lost for the first time in their
last 12 games. Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points and Danny Green added 15 -- all
on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range -- in defeat. The Spurs were without
forward Tim Duncan, who missed the game because of knee and ankle issues, and
guard Manu Ginobili, who missed his third straight due to a left hamstring
injury.
Final Score: Houston 118, Portland 103
Houston, TX
(Sports Network) - James Harden poured in a game-high 35 points and dished out
11 assists to lead the Houston Rockets to a 118-103 win over the Portland Trail
Blazers on Friday. Harden went 13-for-16 from the field, including 4-of-5 from
3-point range, to notch his 15th 30-plus point performance of the season.
Chandler Parsons added 20 points while Patrick Patterson and Jeremy Lin
finished with 16 points apiece for the Rockets, who have won six of their last
eight contests. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 31 points and pulled down 11 boards
and Nicolas Batum scored 24 points for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped
three of their last five.
Final Score: Memphis 99, Golden State 93
Memphis, TN
(Sports Network) - Marc Gasol scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed
out five assists, as the Memphis Grizzlies eked out a hard-fought 99-93
decision over the Golden State Warriors at FedEx Forum. These teams figure to
be in the mix for a top-4 seed in the Western Conference playoff race, and the
Grizzlies gave themselves an advantage by sweeping the three-game season
series. Zach Randolph added a double-double of his own with 16 points and 12
boards in helping Memphis snap a two-game skid and win their ninth straight
over the Warriors. Stephen Curry and David Lee carried Golden State with 32 and
26 points, respectively. Curry also had eight assists in the club's third loss
in a row.
Final Score: Miami 111, LA Clippers 89
Miami, FL
(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Clippers had their starting core together
for the first time in more than two months, and the lack of court time together
showed. LeBron James and the Miami Heat spoiled the return to action for Chris
Paul, Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups, with the reigning NBA MVP racking up
30 points in just 31 minutes to lead the defending champions to a 111-89 rout
of the struggling Clippers at American Airlines Arena. James added six assists
while going 9-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, while Dwyane
Wade shook off a flu bug to record 20 points and seven assists in a game the
Heat dominated from the second quarter on. Wade was questionable to play in the
contest due to the illness, which rendered both All-Star center Chris Bosh and
top bench option Ray Allen inactive. Paul returned from a nine-game absence
caused by a bone bruise in his right knee, but managed just three points on
1-of-5 shooting in 20 minutes. Billups, playing for the first time since early
December due to an inflamed tendon in his left foot, had seven points in 16
minutes. Griffin, who had sat out Los Angeles' last two outings with a
hamstring injury, made 5-of-7 field goals in a 13-point performance that wasn't
nearly enough to prevent the Clippers from their fourth setback in five games.
Final Score: New York 100, Minnesota 94
Minneapolis,
MN (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony brought the Knicks back in the fourth and
Tyson Chandler protected the lead late to lift New York to a 100-94 victory
over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Anthony scored 12 of his 36 points
in the final 6 1/2 minutes to help the Knicks rally from an 11-point fourth
quarter deficit. Chandler then made two key blocks in the last 30 seconds to
defend the advantage and give New York its fourth straight win over Minnesota.
J.R. Smith followed with 15 points and Raymond Felton, Amare Stoudemire and
Steve Novak each contributed 11 in the Knicks' sixth victory in seven games.
Luke Ridnour poured in 20 points and Ricky Rubio had a third consecutive game
with double-digit assists, posting 11 to go with 18 points, but the Timberwolves
inevitably fell for the ninth time in 10 tries. Derrick Williams scored 19
points and Nikola Pekovic tallied 16 points with 11 rebounds in the setback.
Final Score: Oklahoma City 127, Phoenix 96
Oklahoma
City, OK (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant had 21 points, six rebounds and four
assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 127-96 rout of the Phoenix Suns. Russell
Westbrook added 17 points and six assists for the Thunder, who have won three
straight games since going 3-4 over their previous seven. Thabo Sefolosha
netted 18 points, Kendrick Perkins tallied 17 points and nine rebounds and
Kevin Martin poured in 16 in the triumph. Michael Beasley finished with 25
points and seven boards for Phoenix, which has dropped six of its last eight
contests.
Final Score: Chicago 93, Utah 89
Salt Lake
City, UT (Sports Network) - Carlos Boozer had 11 of his 19 points in the fourth
quarter of the Chicago Bulls' 93-89 win over the Utah Jazz. Nate Robinson added
18 points and nine assists for the Bulls, who had lost three of their last four
games coming in. Joakim Noah tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds in the triumph.
Al Jefferson registered a season-high 32 points and 13 boards for Utah, which
had won four of its past five contests coming into Friday. Paul Millsap netted 21
points in defeat.
February
9
Final Score: Denver 111, Cleveland 103
Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points and pulled down nine
rebounds and Kenneth Faried added 17 points with seven boards, as the Denver
Nuggets held on for a 111-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday at
Quicken Loans Arena. Andre Iguodala had 14 points, dished out seven helpers to
go along with four rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won nine straight for the
first time in eight seasons. JaVale McGee donated 13 points, while connecting
on 6-of-7 shooting and Ty Lawson had 11 points in the victory. Alonzo Gee
finished with 20 points, while shooting a perfect 8- of-8 from the field,
including 3-of-3 from downtown for the Cavaliers, who saw their three-game
winning streak come to an end. Kyrie Irving paced Cleveland with 26 points, six
rebounds and seven assists in the loss.
Final Score: Philadelphia 87, Charlotte 76
Philadelphia,
PA (Sports Network) - Lavoy Allen pulled down a career-high 22 rebounds -- half
on the offensive glass -- to go with 14 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers sent
the Charlotte Bobcats to a seventh straight loss with an 87-76 decision at
Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers were outscored at the free throw line, 20-7, but
had 24 more points in the paint and got a spark from Jeremy Pargo, who played
29-plus minutes and posted 12 points and six assists two days after signing a
10-day contract. Jrue Holiday netted 20 points, Spencer Hawes added 17 and Evan
Turner recorded 16 points and 10 boards in a balanced attack for Philadelphia,
which improved to 5-2 on an eight-game homestand that concludes Monday against
the Clippers. Ramon Sessions had 20 points for the Bobcats, who shot just 31
percent from the floor in yet another setback.
Final Score: Dallas 116, Golden State 91
Dallas, TX
(Sports Network) - Shawn Marion netted a season-high 26 points with 11 rebounds
as the Dallas Mavericks sent the struggling Golden State Warriors to a fourth
straight loss with a 116-91 victory on Saturday. Dallas overwhelmed Golden
State by grabbing a 62-36 advantage by halftime and never looked back. O.J.
Mayo scored 19 points and Darren Collison had 18 with eight assists to help the
Mavs string together consecutive wins and avoid a season sweep to the Warriors.
Elton Brand tallied 11 points and 11 boards off the bench in the victory.
Golden State concluded its four-game road trip without a win in enduring its
longest losing streak of the season. Stephen Curry scored 18 points, but on
8-of-23 shooting. The Warriors shot just 38.2 percent as a team in the setback.
Final Score: Detroit 105, Milwaukee 100
Milwaukee,
WI (Sports Network) - Charlie Villanueva nailed a 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds
remaining to lift the Detroit Pistons over the Milwaukee Bucks, 105-100, on
Saturday. Jose Calderon, playing in his third game since being acquired from
the Raptors, netted 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting for the Pistons, who won
their second straight following a victory Friday which snapped San Antonio's
11-game winning streak. Rodney Stuckey donated 19 points, while Villanueva
finished with 18 -- on 4-of-7 from behind the arc -- and 13 rebounds in the
victory. Brandon Jennings scored a game-high 26 points and dished out seven
helpers for the Bucks, who had a chance to tie the game following Villanueva's
trey. Jennings got the ball back and drove across halfcourt, but misfired from
well beyond the three-point arc, although the clock still showed three seconds,
and the Bucks were forced to foul Stuckey, who made two free throws to provide
the final points. Ersan Ilyasova and Samuel Dalembert each recorded
double-doubles with 15 points and 10 rebounds and 14 points and 12 rebounds,
respectively, in the Bucks' third straight defeat.
Final Score: Sacramento 120, Utah 109
Sacramento, CA
(Sports Network) - Isaiah Thomas netted 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting and the
Sacramento Kings grinded out a 120-109 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday
at Sleep Train Arena. Marcus Thornton followed with 24 points, Jason Thompson
contributed 21 and DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points with 11 rebounds to help
Sacramento avenge Monday's loss at Utah and end a four-game skid. Alec Burks
put forth a career-best 24 points, but the Jazz suffered their second straight
defeat and third consecutive on the road. Al Jefferson was the only starter for
Utah in double-figures, scoring 16 points.
February
10
HEAT 107, LAKERS 97
MIAMI
(AP)—LeBron James scored 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting, Dwyane Wade scored 30
and the Miami Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-97 on Sunday for their fifth
straight win. It was James’ fifth straight game with at least 30 points, a
franchise record. He’s shot better than 60 percent in all five of those games.
Mario
Chalmers scored 13 and Chris Bosh finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for
the Heat. Kobe Bryant had 28 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who also
got 18 points from Earl Clark The Lakers had eight turnovers in the fourth
quarter, while Miami had none.
SPURS 111, NETS 86
NEW YORK
(AP)—Tony Parker had 29 points and 11 assists in another brilliant performance
without his two sidekicks, and San Antonio dominated the second half to beat
Brooklyn. Two nights after a loss in Detroit ended their 11-game winning
streak, the Spurs got back on track quickly behind Parker, who fell short of
his third straight 30-point game only because he was so good he sat out the
final minutes of the rout. Danny Green added 14 points and Tiago Splitter had
13 for the Spurs, who were again without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili because
of injuries as they beat the Nets for the 19th time in 20 meetings. Joe Johnson
scored 19 points and Brook Lopez had 18 for the Nets.
THUNDER 97, SUNS 69
PHOENIX
(AP)—Thabo Sefolosha made a career-high 5 3-pointers and Oklahoma City routed
Phoenix for the second game in a row. The 28-point blowout followed a 127-96
romp over the Suns in Oklahoma City on Friday night. Russell Westbrook scored
24 points in 28 minutes in the Thunder’s 10th straight victory over Phoenix,
the longest active streak for any Suns opponent. Sefolosha added 20 points, two
shy of his career high. Kevin Durant scored 18, 11 below his NBA-leading season
average (29.1), in limited duty in the Thunder’s fourth straight win.
CLIPPERS 102, KNICKS 88
NEW YORK
(AP)—Chris Paul scored 25 points in his second game back from injury and
reserve Jamal Crawford had 27 to lead Los Angeles over New York. Carmelo
Anthony had 42 points—his fifth 40-point game this season—for the Knicks, but
made only one basket in the fourth quarter as 40-year-old Grant Hill came off
the bench to defend him. Blake Griffin finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds
for the Clippers, who bounced back from a 22-point loss in Miami on Friday to
win for just the fourth time in 12 games. They finish off their eight-game road
trip Monday in Philadelphia.
CELTICS 118, NUGGETS 114, 3 OT
BOSTON
(AP)—Paul Pierce had a triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14
assists, and Boston extended its winning streak to seven games with a triple
overtime win over Denver. The loss ended Denver’s winning streak at nine games.
Pierce made
a 3-pointer in the second overtime, sending the game to a third extra period
with the score tied at 107. Kevin Garnett had 20 points and grabbed 18
rebounds, while reserve Jason Terry scored a season-high 26 points for the
Celtics, who remain unbeaten since Rajon Rondo’s season-ending knee injury.
MAGIC 110, BLAZERS 104
ORLANDO,
Fla. (AP)—J.J. Redick scored 22 points, Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 19
rebounds, and Orlando snapped a 12-game losing streak with a win over Portland.
The Magic shot 50 percent from the field in earning their first win since Jan.
16. They play their next two games at home. Reserve Gustavo Ayon had 16 points
and 11 rebounds for Orlando. LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 25 points. Nicolas
Batum added 19 points and Wesley Matthews chipped in with 17.
GRIZZLIES 105, TIMBERWOLVES 88
MEMPHIS,
Tenn. (AP)—Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points, hitting all eight of his shots
from the field, and Memphis pulled away in the second quarter before coasting
to a win over Minnesota. Three other Memphis players—Zach Randolph Mike Conley
and Austin Daye— each finished with 16 points. Conley also handed out eight
assists, while Randolph grabbed eight rebounds to help the Grizzlies win their
second straight. Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio led the Timberwolves with 17
points apiece, and both finished with four assists. Mickael Gelabale scored 14
points on 5-of-7 shooting and Alexey Shved had 10 points and nine assists for
Minnesota, which has lost 15 of 17—including eight straight on the road.
RAPTORS 102, HORNETS 89
TORONTO
(AP)—John Lucas scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to match his
season high and Rudy Gay had 20 points to lead Toronto over New Orleans. Kyle
Lowry had 14 points and 10 assists, and Amir Johnson scored 14 points for the
Raptors, who won consecutive games for the first time since beating
Philadelphia and Charlotte on Jan. 9 and 11. Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points
and 10 rebounds as the Raptors blew open a close game by outscoring the Hornets
33-23 in the final quarter.
KINGS 117, ROCKETS 111
SACRAMENTO,
Calif. (AP)—Isaiah Thomas scored 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and
John Salmons also had 23 points to help rally Sacramento to a win over Houston.
The Kings trailed by 10 early in the fourth quarter but outscored the Rockets
17-7 over a four-minute stretch to tighten things up. Kings center DeMarcus
Cousins had 20 points despite sitting out much of the second half with foul
trouble. Jason Thompson scored 12 points, and Francisco Garcia came off the
bench and had 11, including six points in the fourth quarter when the Kings
outscored Houston 33-25.
February
11
Final Score: Charlotte 94, Boston 91
Charlotte,
NC (Sports Network) - Byron Mullens put forth a monster performance of 25
points and 18 rebounds to help the Charlotte Bobcats knock the wheels off the
Boston Celtics' seven-game roll with a 94-91 victory on Monday. Mullens
connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field -- including 4-for-5 from 3-point
range -- and Ramon Sessions put the Bobcats ahead for good with his jumper
late, helping halt Charlotte's seven-game losing streak. Sessions contributed
19 points for the game. Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson added 18 and 16
points, respectively, in the victory. Just a day removed from their thrilling
triple-overtime victory over the Nuggets, the Celtics saw their late four-point
advantage whittle away down the stretch. Kevin Garnett tallied 16 points and 13
rebounds while Paul Pierce finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight
assists in Boston's first setback since Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury
on Jan. 25.
Final Score: Minnesota 100, Cleveland 92
Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Luke Ridnour led six Minnesota players in double figures
with a game-high 21 points to lead the Timberwolves to a 100-92 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Nikola Pekovic added 16 points and 10 rebounds
and Ricky Rubio dropped in 13 points, dished out 10 assists and had five steals
for the Timberwolves, who had dropped 10 of their previous 11 games entering
the contest. Derrick Williams added 13 points, while Alexey Shved and Mickael
Gelabale finished with 11 points apiece in the triumph. Kyrie Irving scored 20
points to go with seven assists and Tristan Thompson scored 16 points and
grabbed nine rebounds for the Cavs, losers in two straight. Dion Waiters scored
12 points, Alonzo Gee netted 11 and Wayne Ellington and Marreese Speights
finished with 10 points apiece in the setback.
Final Score: Brooklyn 89, Indiana 84 (OT)
Indianapolis,
IN (Sports Network) - Brook Lopez had 25 points and eight rebounds and shot a
perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line as the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the
Indiana Pacers in overtime, 89-84 Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Joe
Johnson scored 17 points and Gerald Wallace recorded a double- double with 11
points and 11 rebounds -- all of which were defensive -- for the Nets, who
ended a two-game skid. Reggie Evans managed just eight points, but pulled down
22 boards in the victory. George Hill netted 22 points and dished out six
assists, despite going just 1-of-7 from behind the arc for the Pacers, who have
dropped two straight overtime home contests following a season-high five-game
winning streak and 15-game home winning streak. Lance Stephenson and Jeff
Pendergraph had 14 points apiece, while Pendergraph came off the bench to also
added 10 rebounds, for the Pacers, who shot a mere 34.4 percent (33-of-96) from
the floor.
Final Score: LA Clippers 107, Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia,
PA (Sports Network) - Chris Paul is quickly returning to form and the Los
Angeles Clippers are back to their winning ways. Paul had 21 points, 11 assists
and five steals in three quarters of work as the Clippers routed the
Philadelphia 76ers in a wire-to-wire victory, 107-90, on Monday. Blake Griffin
and Jamal Crawford both netted 20 points for Los Angeles, which has won two
straight after losing its first contest since Paul returned Friday against the
Miami Heat. Paul had missed 12 of the Clippers' previous 14 games due to a bone
bruise on his right knee cap. Los Angeles went 6-6 during his absence. Nick
Young had 29 points against his former team to lead the Sixers, who have
dropped two of their last three tilts.
 |
| Chris Paul's return has sparked the Clippers anew. (image by H. Rumph, Jr./AP) |
Final Score: New Orleans 105, Detroit 86
Auburn
Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Ryan Anderson made five 3-pointers en route to a
31-point effort as the New Orleans Hornets dumped the Detroit Pistons, 105-86,
at the Palace of Auburn Hills. With one of their best scoring threats, Eric
Gordon, sitting out the second game of a back-to-back, the Hornets shot an
impressive 49 percent from the field in winning for the third time in four
games. Robin Lopez added 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Al- Farouq Aminu
chipped in 12 points and 14 boards for New Orleans, which made 10-of-21 from
long distance and 13-of-14 from the foul line. The Pistons had a successful
weekend with wins over the Spurs and Bucks, but regressed Monday by shooting 36
percent from the field. Rodney Stuckey had a team-high 19 points and Greg
Monroe recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
0 Comment