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Nets hit new low with 18th straight loss

cg1981 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:19:01 +0000

You know things are bad when you're fans come dressed in grocery bags.

All those losses in what’s now the worst start in NBA history had already beaten down the New Jersey Nets.

So when the Dallas Mavericks hit them with a 49-point second quarter, the Nets simply had no fight left.

New Jersey was pounded into NBA infamy Wednesday night, falling 117-101 for its 18th straight loss to start the season.

“I think what happens is you know it wears on you,” interim coach Tom Barrise said. “It’s not a two-game losing streak. We play four games a week in this league and it’s every day and every other day, and you know you hear it and you start to feel it a little bit.”

The Mavericks made 17 of 19 shots and opened a 27-point lead in a nearly flawless second period, burying the Nets early in former New Jersey captain Jason Kidd’s second trip back to his old home.

The Nets passed the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games. New Jersey’s next chance to end the streak comes Friday at home against Charlotte.

If the Nets defend the way they did Wednesday, the skid could last a while longer.

Dallas shot 81 percent in the first half, the first NBA team to make 80 percent of its shots in a half since the Denver Nuggets hit 82 percent against the Clippers on April 4, 2006, according to STATS, LLC.

“At this point, I feel the streak has definitely gotten the best of us. It’s really not starting to get to us now,” guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. “So when a team goes on a run, we kind of, it’s almost like we give up, which is really unfortunate but that’s what it looks like to me. We kind of give up and just lay down instead of trying to fight.”

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and Kidd had 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who led by 31 points in the third quarter. Erick Dampier added 18 points and 11 boards, and Jason Terry also scored 18 points.

Douglas-Roberts scored 24 points and Harris, acquired in February 2008 in the Kidd trade, added 17. Brook Lopez had 16.

NBA Early Season MVP Rankings

mceezy — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:01:11 +0000

1. Lebron James (66 pts) This race is nowhere near decided. In fact, it’s barely getting start

All-Star voting for grown ups

theblogpoint — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:13:49 +0000

I’m assuming there’s a reason things are the way they are that I just don’t understand yet, but until it either changes or I figure it out, the NBA All-Star Game voting process is officially my new nemisis (you’re off the hook Gypsy That Cursed Paul Millsap).

Where do we begin?

The last time a basketball team played a game with precisely two guards, two forwards and a center was long before any player on these ballots (Shaquille O’Neal, I assume) was considered a professional athlete. The end result is an often awkward formation of players setting foot on the court for the game’s first few minutes.

Granted the head coaches can, and naturally do mix the line-up around so that it actually looks like a real line-up (at least part of the time), but the process has evolved to the point where the recognition is hardly considered much of a recognition at all. With all of the limitations of the current format the third best player in a conference (most likely a forward) could lose out on a starting spot while a bum gets the nod at center (Antonio Davis, I don’t mean to single you out, but I’m singling you out).

Considering the fact that there’s little clear-cut alternative for eliminating positions altogether, it might make some sense to at least modify the position classifications. Recall the hit NES ice hockey title, aptly titled Ice Hockey. For those unfortunately out of the “know”, the game began when you assembled your anonymous team of anxious players of various shapes and sizes. In other words, you chose whether you wanted any combination of skinny players, medium-sized players or… “the beasts” (which is a slightly more intimidating euphemism for fat players that skated slow but hit with the force of a Mack truck).

Since the 2 Guard-2 Forward-1 Center format has grown out of fashion, might it not make more sense to go with a 1 Little Guard-2 Wing Man-2 Big Forward format? Something that could lump the Kobe Bryants and LeBron James(es) of the world together? So that Kevin Durant no longer has to worry about sitting on the bench because Tim Duncan or Pau Gasol had to bump him out of the way when Andrew Bynum took what should have been their spot at C?

With this 2LG-2WM-2BF format, each team would have a point guard (let’s say Chris Paul and Devin Harris), along with two players that would either fall into the shooting guard or small forward categories (let’s say Kobe Bryant/Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade/LeBron James). Then each team would get two big players to fill in at power forward and centre (might as well come up with an example here too… Tim Duncan/Dirk Nowtizki and Chris Bosh/Dwight Howard). Doesn’t that make a lot more sense then trying to go with what they have now?

The reason this format works more efficiently is because a shooting guard has a heck of a lot more in common with a small forward than with a point guard… and a center is virtually identical to a power forward save for a few inches.

The next part of the ASG process that ruins lives is the fact that idiots get to vote every single day. No longer are votes cast by the most knowledgeable, passionate fans, they’re cast by 13-year-olds homers and a fraction of the world’s cell phone carriers that can do it from their phones (T-Mobile, if you’re wondering. Thanks Mr. Stern).

What I propose is that we abandon this unlimited vote count and let fans cast one single ballot per year. It seems irrational, but believe it or not that used to be how voting worked in real life too. It might eliminate the preposterously high vote counts that NBA execs in the Social Media department felate each other over at the staff Christmas party, but at least the counts will be authentic. It’s like Major League Baseball minus the steroids. Sure the numbers aren’t as absurdly-record breaking, but at least they’re legitimate.

What if the most super elitest of hackers figured out a way to clear their cookies and vote more than once?, you say, thus jeopardizing the integrity of our whole operation? Then have fans print off their ballot and mail it in. Old school, I know, but printers are everywhere and I’m pretty sure stamps cost less than 60 cents. With the power of the internet the ballot can still be distributed at stupid lengths, the only difference is that the actual votes won’t fall into that same realm of vast stupidity.

The NBA has found itself on a path of convenience lately, but too much convenience can have unfortunate results, especially when the goal all along is to maintain integrity and control. With this new method, fans no longer have to worry about having zero impact and it avoids the inevitable scandal that will come when one community figures out a way to flood the severely flawed voting process (a similar thing happened with the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL All-Star Game a few years ago).

Oh well, it’s not like anybody watches it anyway. I’m still on strike until they bring 2Ball back.

In the words of Marv Albert: Yesssss!!!!!

youngjedifresh — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:31:52 +0000

Open at Work with Caution... Morning sports fans! Bits n’ Pieces - He’s baaaackk, Iverso

Dallas Mavericks Guard Jason Terry Gets a Fathead

Tracy Hackler — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:25:23 +0000

Less than 24 hours after his game-winning bucket against the feisty Philadelphia 76ers gave the Mave

Champ's Power Rankings: Week 4

The Champ — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:31:39 +0000

Playoffs?

oh, hey! sorry for my tardiness but I got em’

1. Los Angeles Lakers: OK, an early home schedule is good and all, and Pau Gasol is back and doing work, and everythings clicking. But, there is no but, the Lakers are the number one team in the league. However, I’m not sure Kobe’s increased scoring is a good sign or not.

2. Atlanta Hawks: Disclaimer: Yes I am writing this after watching their cold effort in their falling to the Orlando Magic, at home. But coming into Monday this team was still on fire, yes they deserve to be here now. Next week? watch out.

3. Denver Nuggets: Coming into the season I was concerned about Denver. Yes, drafting Ty Lawson is a HUGE plus, but they made no offseason moves to improve the team. But then, Carmello Anthony stepped up, he finally is dishing out points and rebounds like a true superstar. Tracking Anthony’s development at a recent trip to the pool really sold me on the Nuggets, they’ve come a long way. They had Allen Iverson around this time last year.

4. Phoenix Suns: Have the Suns winning become bland again? reference my analysis last week because nothing has changed for Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Company.

5. Orlando Magic: Vince Carter takes bad shots. Sometimes. Now Dwight Howard’s lobbying Stan Van to ease up. They aren’t exactly dominating the league. Tough loss to Miami, questionable call? Don’t ask Pietrus.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: My Cavs are doing alright. Not dominating, not losing. I also feel LeBron has not exactly turned it on yet. The win against Orlando was the most intense of the season, compared to the lackadaisical effort, a win at least, against the Pistons. The Shaq injury does hurt the depth of the team. And JJ Hickson, well expect a bromance post pretty soon from the Champ.

7. Boston Celtics: When did the Celts get so cold? Now theyre barely beating teams like Philly, Minnesota, and New Jersey. OK. No real significant injury problems. Is Iverson the answer? reference Stephon Marbury.

8. Dallas Mavericks: What’s up with past MVP’s having great seasons? Dirk, Steve Nash, Hey even AI’s back in the news. Oh well, the Mavs look alright I guess. West elite? no. Top Four seed? yes.

9. Portland Trailblazers: The three guard combo of Blake, Miller, and Roy was interesting, but maybe the Blazers weren’t as potent. Although I feel that might be a good matchup issue in the playoffs so giving those three guys time on the floor together is a good thing in my eyes. Greg Oden’s coming around too, good for him.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: OK, the Bucks can stay. Brandon Jennings.

(thats all I have to say about the Bucks)

Missing from Last Week:

Miami Heat: Wait until next week. The win over Orlando was huge, and the Champ, maybe just a little bit is starting to finally be won over by Michael Beasley, not for the game winning dunk though, although that helped a little bit.

Rockets Get Absolutely Crushed by the Mavs, Give Up 130 Points...

multatuli34 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:48:53 +0000

The Rockets came off 3 days off to host the Southwest Division leading Dallas Mavericks. Well, the schedule gave Houston 3 days off but they decided to go ahead and take 5 days off for Thanksgiving. They were flat and played with almost no effort as the Mavs rolled to 130 points.

Shawn Marion got a really easy layup on the Mavs’ 2nd offensive possession off a very simple cut down the middle of the lane. The reason the Rockets have been able to win games this year is that they never give up easy buckets like that but against Dallas it would occur more often than not as the home team looked lethargic on defense nearly every time down.

On the offensive end the Rockets started strongly; they were getting into the lane and drawing fouls on the Maverick big men. Luis Scola and Trevor Ariza were playing really well as Houston got out to a 15 – 2. But then Drew Gooden came from the top of the key unimpeded down the lane for a huge dunk. There is no way a team with Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes should let a guy as slow as Gooden get all the way to the rim from the perimeter without someone taking a charge but that would happen over and over and over throughout the game.

The lack of defense by the Rockets would allow Dallas to counter their 15 – 2 start with a 32 – 8 run over the last 8:00 of the quarter. The Mavs caught on fire from the perimeter because they got going with all the easy baskets Houston was offering them. You cannot let any NBA team get into a rhythm and build confidence with fast breaks and points in the paint but you especially cannot do that to a team with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Tim Thomas.

36 – 25 Dallas after 1.

From there it was all down hill. Watching shot after shot go in the rim took the fight out of the Rockets and they lost all will to compete. They were turning the ball over - Kyle Lowry had 5 turnovers in the 1st half – they couldn’t make a shot and they gave up layup after layup to Dallas, who shot 69% from the field in the half. Bill Worrell summed it up more succinctly than I can, “This is the worst defense I’ve ever seen the Rockets have.” Luckily he didn’t talk much about the offense.

There was a play toward the end of the 2nd when Carl Landry, the only Rocket who was playing worth a damn, had post position but Aaron Brooks thought it would be better for him to throw up a contested 3-point try than to go to the only guy on his team who was scoring. Great job, point guard. Lowry played terribly but compare Brooks’ mentality to his; Lowry came up with a steal under the Rockets’ rim and, instead of taking it up for 2 points, he passed it off to Landry for a dunk. That’s what you do when you’re a POINT GUARD! Brooks has been severely disappointing this year because for one, his scoring has been sporatic but more importantly, because he has been atrocious with assists-per-turnovers. But back to the defense.

The Mavs shot 69% from the field, 5/7 from the 3, had 26 points in the paint and 12 fast break points on tehir way to a 17 point lead.

68 – 51 at the half.

Houston started the 3rd quarter and looked like they may try to make a run but it wouldn’t last. Ariza made a nice move on a baseline jab step and drive for a dunk and Battier knocked down a 3 but then the turnovers came back.

Brooks got his 5th foul with 9:00 still to go in the 3rd and Lowry continued to play awfully. He was even stripped by a rookie, Rodrigue Beaubois, 30 feet from the basket. Lowry wasn’t even making a move, he was just handling the ball and Beaubois walked up to him and took it out of his hands. That was a good guage of the concentration with which the Rockets played all night.

91 – 77 after 3.

The 4th quarter was exactly the same. Chase Budinger had JJ Barea (pictured on the left) on the block and nobody even thought about giving it to him down low. Houston was not playing as a team and they had no fight/energy/pride or any other word you would usually use to describe professional athletes.

Dallas hit 101 points with 8:45 still to go in the game. The Rockets wouldn’t get to that total by the end of the game. At least Jermaine Taylor got 5:40 of playing time and Landry got to dunk on Dirk. Other than that, it was a total beating.

130 – 99 final score.

Positives:

1. Carl Landry – 24 points, 6 boards, 9/11 from the field

2. Shane Battier hit a 3-pointer in his 27th consecutive game. That tied Kenny Smith for 2nd on the Rockets all-time list.

Negatives:

1. I think Tim Thomas’ numbers will suffice: 4/8 from 3, 3 steals and 23 points.

2. On second though I’d like to add Lowry’s 6 turnovers, team 62% from the line, Chuck Hayes’ 1/8 from the floor and Budinger’s 0/7 shooting to the list.

Insights:

I was horrified by this game but the good thing is this is not indicative of a bigger problem. This beating came as a result of simply being outplayed, out-willed, out-hustled and out-worked; those are not issues the Rockets are going to have very often. Effort is one of the few things that you can count on most of the time from Houston so this game shouldn’t worry anyone too much.

It is, however, obvious that the Rockets need someone who can get a basket to stop the bleeding and they have one of those guys on his way back. Tracy McGrady has been practicing this week and he will be back soon. As long as Adelman doesn’t pressure him to be the league scoring champ version of T-Mac, Houston will be a much, much, much better team with him than without. Brooks has been extremely disappointing so far and Ariza is not even close to becoming the go-to scorer on a playoff team.

Disgusted with the Night’s Performance but Excited About McGrady’s Return,

Multatuli

Houston Rockets (8-7)
field goalsrebounds
	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
S.Battier	F-G	27:43	3-5	2-4	0-1	+2	1	1	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	8
L.Scola	F-C	27:54	6-13	0-0	3-4	-15	2	5	7	3	3	1	1	0	2	15
C.Hayes	F-C	14:56	1-8	0-0	1-3	-1	3	4	7	2	3	0	0	1	3	3
T.Ariza	G-F	36:44	8-15	2-6	2-3	-20	0	1	1	3	1	2	2	2	0	20
A.Brooks	G	26:30	3-7	0-1	3-5	-3	0	0	0	5	5	0	3	0	1	9
K.Lowry		31:41	1-6	1-3	1-4	-33	3	0	3	7	4	1	6	0	1	4
C.Budinger		20:17	0-7	0-4	0-0	-33	1	3	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0
C.Landry		28:31	9-11	0-0	6-6	-21	1	5	6	0	1	0	0	0	1	24
D.Andersen		16:20	4-6	0-0	2-2	-14	2	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	10
J.Taylor		05:41	1-2	0-1	0-0	-10	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2
B.Cook		03:43	2-3	0-1	0-1	-7	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	4

Former Teammates, Now Competitors Lead Top 10 NBA MVP List

lesleee999 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:20:54 +0000

Former running mates Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash are leading the charge in this year’s NBA MVP race.

Source:
http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/11/early-season-mvp-candidates/

Big Pimpin' Dallas Mavericks' Style ..........Bitches That They Are !

tophatal — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:52:47 +0000

Big Pimpin’ Dallas Mavericks’ Style …….Bitches That They Are !

I don’t know of any other way to suggest this but in watching the Dallas Mavericks lose to the Golden State Warriors, who only had six physically healthy players suited up. Well, it suggests everything that I’ve come to think about the Dallas Mavericks. They’re an extremely soft team, not only physically but also mentally as well. And this is epitomized by the attitude of their owner, Mark Cuban . Egotistical , narcissistic but above all critical of others when they’re not all in agreement with his thought process.

Dallas-November 24th 2009: Monta Ellis (8) of the Golden State Warriors goes up and under against Dirk Nowitzki (41) of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on November 24, 2009 in Dallas, Texas. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images/ Glenn James .............

This Mavericks’ team is resplendent with a plethora of stars but little in the way of leadership. And that is with seasoned veterans such as Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd , Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. To make matters worse, the the team is highly overpaid and has given little back in return by way of anything tangible in terms of success. This club has continually underachieved despite all of the lavish spending and the perception that it is one of the marquee teams in the NBA. The fact of the matter is, they’re a good regular season team but come the postseason they become doormat that many of the elite teams in the NBA choose to wipe their feet on.

Kris Humpheries of the Dallas Mavericks goes up for the dunk in the game against the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks would go on to be defeated by the Warriors 111-103 in the game played at the American Airlines Center in Dallas ,Texas, on the 24th November,2009. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images/ Glenn James …….

Last night’s game between these two Western Conference team saw the Golden State Warriors with eight players on the bench of the mandated twelve but only six ready to play. The Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks set out to play a game and let every ardent fan of the game see what the NBA will be proffering up to their patrons for the season. Well, the Warriors did little to disappoint as they completely overwhelmed the Mavericks with their resiliency and resolve as a team. Unfortunately,for the Mavericks they had no answer for the Warriors’ Monta Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Vladimir Radmanovic or their rookie sensation Steph Curry. As they went about decimating the Mavericks’ defense and made them look like very much like a D-league NBA representative
team.

Now pardon me for saying this, when your franchise is said to be worth
in excess of $ 400 million and on appearance it seems to be worth not more than a plug nickel . Then there’s a great deal to be said for the pomp and bloviated opinions of Mark Cuban and the persona of his franchise. They’ve become more accustomed to being beaten up on, more than a hooker is by her pimp ‘for not turning enough tricks’. And ‘tricks’, it appears to be something that the Mavericks haven’t been able to turn in quite some time. OK, so they made it to the postseason last year and they beat a San Antonio Spurs’ team that was missing several of its top players. But having done so, in the conference semi finals they melted like butter against a hot knife.

Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a win against the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on November 24, 2009 in Dallas, Texas. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images/ Glenn James .......

Courtesy of Associated Press and Yahoo Sports

Ellis, Morrow lead Warriors past Mavericks 111-103

DALLAS (AP)—Golden State was down to eight healthy players—and used only six. Warriors coach Don Nelson wasn’t with the team as he recovers from pneumonia. Still, Monta Ellis(notes) and Stephen Curry(notes) wouldn’t let injuries or sickness become an excuse.

Ellis scored 13 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter, Curry added 11 of his 18 points in the final 4 minutes and the Warriors ended Dallas’ five-game winning streak with a 111-103 victory over the short-handed Mavericks on Tuesday night.

“Coming into this game, we had nothing to lose,” said assistant coach Keith Smart, who filled in for Nelson. “The worst case is they blow us out and we move on to (Wednesday night’s game in San Antonio). But our guys have a lot of character. They played hard together and made the right decisions.”

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In order to read this article in its entirety just click unto the text link
provided.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41), of Germany, loses the ball to Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, in Dallas. The Warriors won 111-103. picture appears courtesy of AP/Photo/ Sharon Ellman ...........

This season, the Dallas Mavericks appear to have started off strong but their inconsistency is already beginning to set in. The Golden State Warriors for their part are looking to take the next step and place themselves amongst the elite teams within the Western Conference. And in doing so, it would further suggest to their fans that they’re ready to show them what they’ve been missing out on for such a long time. In place of Don Nelson as coach of the team last night , there on the sidelines was his assistant, Keith Smart. Nelson was unable to participate as he was sidelined with a bout of pneumonia. His return isn’t anticipated for another week or two. Smart, for his part showed that he may well be the coach in waiting, once Nelson is ready to step down from his position as coach of the team.

The Mavericks for their part, to my mind are no closer to winning an NBA title than the Democrats are about the direction that the party now seems to be heading in.The Dallas Mavericks as an organization give all the semblance of being an organized and efficiently ran organization. But in essence,they’re only playing at being that. They’re a complete mess but Mark Cuban would rather not have you see the warts and all mess,that there is inside of his franchise.

And for Mavericks’ coach, Rick Carlisle and his assistant coaching staff of Terry Stotts, Dwayne Casey and Tom Sterner. This was hardly the type of response they’d have expected from this team with the resultant 111-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors. But it seems to be something that’s emblematic of the team and their inconsistency. They either play down to the level of an opponent or at times they’re able to play with a high degree of efficiency.There does not appear to be a happy medium for the Mavericks. Is it any wonder that they’re viewed as one of the softer teams around the NBA ? And that’s not just from a physical standpoint but also when it comes to the mental aspect of their game. It’s now becoming a view that’s being widely shared across the NBA and amongst the fans, themselves.

And for the Golden State Warriors ,though on the face of it the win might not seem that much. But having been able to defeat a team with just six healthy players from its entire roster shows that they’re not at all prepared to bow down and become one of the lesser beings within the NBA fraternity. That’s left to the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and the Charlotte Bobcats. For those particular franchises, mediocrity nowadays goes hand in hand, just as much turkey and Thanksgiving are part of a solemn festivity that we can all feel comfortable with.

What do you think of the Dallas Mavericks as an NBA franchise ? Good, bad, indifferent or just simply overrated just as their counterpart in the NFL – the Dallas Cowboys ?

NB Take time to participate in the poll below.

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‘Big Pimpin’ by Jay-z feat’g UGK .

MVP´s tan diferentes...

alejandroarmesto — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:31:13 +0000

Larry Bird conquistó en tres ocasiones (1983/84-1984/85-1985/86) el premio al mejor jugador del año. El jugador de los Boston Celtics maravilló durante años con su baloncesto y con sus enfrentamientos con Magic Johnson, que obtuvo el mismo galardón también por tres veces.

Después del dominio de Michael Jordan, donde se intercalaron jugadores como Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson o Karl Malone, vino una nueva generación en la que brillaron Shaquille O´Neil, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan y Kevin Garnett. Y, de repente, otro blanco apareció en escena. Steve Nash, un canadiense de 1,91 de altura y una figura que nada tenía que ver con los hombres nombrados anteriormente, se adueñaba del baloncesto americano. Sus pases imposibles, su modo de dirigir el juego, sus valientes entradas a canasta, sus tiros certeros, su desparpajo y, sobre todo, el hecho de hacer mejores a sus compañeros, le valieron ser nombrado dos veces seguidas mejor jugador de la temporada (2004/05 y 2005/06).

El cetro no iba a ser abandonado por los blancos a las primeras de cambio, y Dirk Nowitzki se convirtió al año siguiente en el primer europeo en recibir el MVP. El alemán, con un estilo algo tosco, muy lejos de la estética del vuelo sin motor inventada por Air Jordan, asombró a la NBA con una muñeca y una agilidad impropias de un jugador de 213 centímetros de altura.

Pero la hegemonía blanca tenía sus días contados. Kobe Bryant, que para entonces ya tenía tres anillos, reclamó el trono que antes se le había negado, y volvió a poner en lo más alto el estilo de juego inventado por Michael Jordan.

El último rey es King James. Desde luego, se parece más a MJ que Dirk Nowitzki, pero son jugadores muy distintos. Lebron James ha inventado un nueva forma de jugar al baloncesto, y ésta se basa en ser el más fuerte sobre la cancha. Nadie puede parar a King James, al menos no cuando está en carrera y menos cuando ha iniciado el vuelo.

No cuestiono la elección de estos hombres como los mejores de los últimos 25 años, eran los mejores. Pero me gustaría destacar la dificultad que entraña ser elegido MVP cuando se es blanco. Larry Bird, Steve Nash y Dirk Nowitzki no son precisamente un ejemplo de fortaleza física. Ninguno de ellos machacaba el aro como lo hace un jugador de color, ninguno alcanzaba la velocidad de los afroamericanos, pero supieron imponer sus propias reglas, basadas en el cálculo, la reflexión, la oportunidad.

Pistons Recap - A Rough West Coast Stretch

Rob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:24:09 +0000

Apologies for another light week here at the GHHT, but busy weeks come with the territory when at The U. Since my last recap, the Pistons beat the Washington Wizards, but lost their next 5 games. Despite some recurring themes throughout those losses, I’ll go with a game-by-game approach.

Pistons: 106 Wizards: 103 – I wasn’t able to watch this game, but the box score shows a lot of the things we Pistons fans expected coming into this season. The guards and Charlie Villanueva carried the scoring load: CV31, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, and Rodney Stuckey combined to score 91 of the Pistons’ 106 points. Detroit out-rebounded the Wizards 44-43, but that feat comes with an asterisk as Antawn Jamison did not play for Washington due to a shoulder injury. The big story of the game was the Wizards’ inability to score late in the 4th quarter. Washington went the final 5:03 without a field goal (until Gilbert Arenas hit a meaningless 3-pointer with 3 seconds left), and only scored 5 points in that time.

Mavericks: 95 Pistons: 90 – I think this game would have gone the other way for the Pistons if they hadn’t been on the second leg of a back-to-back. They looked tired at points during the game and it didn’t help that Ben Gordon made only 1 of 16 shots. Dirk Nowitzki maintained his MVP-like play in the early season with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. I was very impressed with Dallas rookie Rodrigue Beaubois. The Frenchman scored 14 points (on a perfect 6-6) in 19 minutes. Despite Gordon’s poor shooting night, I support John Kuester’s decision to give Gordon the ball in the closing seconds when a 3-pointer would have tied the game. Ball Don’t Lie’s Kelly Dwyer chimed in on this decision during his daily recap of NBA action.

So do you go to Ben Gordon, with the game on the line?

Of course you do. Hell yes, you do.

Why?

Because Gordon, and I’m paraphrasing here, is “a career 41.5 three-point shooter.”

And after Sunday’s outburst? He’s a 41.4 percent three-point shooter.

As always, great stuff from KD. Many Pistons’ fans wanted to see the ball in Will Bynum’s hands at the end of the game. I disagree. Bynum isn’t a great 3-point shooter, and you can’t trust the NBA officials to call a foul (or the Mavericks to foul in that situation) when the game is on the line. Unfortunately, Gordon missed and the Pistons took the loss. He’ll make up for it at some point this season.

Lakers: 106 Pistons: 93 – Don’t kid yourself: this was a beat-down. The Pistons’ bench was able to make things respectable towards the end of the game, but the Lakers were able to slack off when leading 88-63 after the first 3 quarters. Los Angeles dominated on the glass (44-32) and shot 47.2% on the night, even after shooting 33% in the 4th quarter. Kobe Bryant scored a seemingly-effortless 40 points. Poor Jonas Jerebko was charged with guarding the Black Mamba and looked like a rookie should in the process. Poor nights from Charlie Villanueva (2 points) and Rodney Stuckey (-30!) were a big part of the Pistons’ downfall. Still, it’s nice to see the team come back late in the game and not let the Lakers get too comfortable (Kobe was brought back into the game when the Pistons got to within 10 points).

Trail Blazers: 87 Pistons: 81 – The Pistons trailed for the majority of this game, but were consistently making small runs to get close and nearly take the lead. Unfortunately, the Blazers had an answer for every run the Pistons made. It seemed as if Brandon Roy would come up with a huge basket when the Pistons got too close. I was shocked when I saw he only scored 20 points; I thought he had at least 30. Charlie Villanueva bounced back from his poor outing against the Lakers with a 20 point effort. It would be nice to see him end up with more than 3 rebounds, but Ben Wallace grabbing 12 rebounds and a slow pace kept the amount of chances to a minimum. Surprisingly, the Pistons out-rebounded the Blazers 39-36. Portland killed the Pistons with their offensive efficiency, racking up 25 assists on 33 made field goals.

Jazz: 100 Pistons: 97 (OT) – I had a hard time paying attention to this one. Most of it had to do with the technical problems Fox Sports was having with their broadcast (especially the lack of the score on screen during the first half). Regardless, this loss was disappointing. The Pistons had a golden chance to win at Utah for the first time since John Stockton retired and came up empty. Packey summed up the night nicely at Motown String Music:

Even though it was an entertaining game, that doesn’t mean it was aesthetically pleasing. The Pistons turned the ball over 17 times and allowed Utah to get to the charity stripe 44 times, of which they made 33, serving as the difference maker in this one. Detroit made 21 of their 25 attempts.

Suns: 117 Pistons: 91 – The Pistons fell behind early in the 2nd quarter, trailing by 16 (58-42) at halftime and stretched their lead to 20+ in the 3rd quarter. The Suns were able to run on the Pistons at will, both after made baskets and defensive rebounds. Steve Nash continued to play at the ridiculous level we’ve seen from him this year (even by his standards) with 20 points and 9 assists. Amare Stoudemire received a technical foul early in the 3rd quarter and, like Rasheed Wallace in his early Piston days, took his game to another level. Stoudemire finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds. The Pistons, like most teams do at the end of a road trip, looked like they just wanted to get on the plane and go home.

To their defense, the Pistons have played 6 games in the last 9 days. Only one of those games was at the Palace, and it was on the second half of a back-to-back. The Pistons actually played three sets of back-to-back games in this 6-game stretch. Essentially, this was a 6-game road trip for the Pistons. Unfortunately, they were only able to come away with 1 win. The five losses came against teams with a combined 46-20 record (currently), and even that mark is held back by Utah’s 7-6 start. They took care of business against the (currently) 3-9 Wizards. The reality of the situation is that there aren’t many teams in the NBA that would come away from a stretch like this with a .500 record (3-3). There are definitely areas the Pistons need to improve (defense, general focus, Rodney Stuckey’s shooting), but don’t think that these losses are because the Pistons are a bad team. They just went up against some of the best teams in the NBA in a short stretch and weren’t able to come away with wins.

The Pistons are back in action on Wednesday against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has been red-hot as of late, but hopefully the Pistons can come away with a November win against the Cavs for the second year in a row. The silver lining? The Clippers come to town on Friday.

First look: 2009-10 Certified basketball cards

chrisolds — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:05:28 +0000

Panini America released the basic product breakdown and preview images for its 2009-10 Certified bas

Mi top10 de la semana (13-11/20-11)

Iñaki García — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:05:17 +0000

Jennings en una acción de su gran partido ante Warriors

1. BRANDON JENNINGS (Milwaukee Bucks). Si ya era sorprendente que un rookie estuviera promediando 20 puntos, 5 rebotes y 5 asistencias por partido, más sorprendente aún fue lo que hizo el pasado día 14 ante los Warriors, nada más y nada menos que 55 puntos. El base de los Bucks se ha propuesto responder con partidazos a todos los que le criticaron por su flojo paso por el encorsetado baloncesto europeo. De momento, ya ha hecho algo al alcance de muy pocos: situarse en la élite de la NBA en apenas nueve partidos. Impresionante.

2. JOSH SMITH (Atlanta Hawks). Junto a Joe Johnson está liderando a los Hawks en su espectacular inicio de liga. Él simboliza el nuevo juego de Atlanta: Ofensivo pero sin dejar de lado la defensa, muy físico, rápido y sobre todo ganador. Estadísticamente ha sido una semana espectacular para Smith, el alero de Atlanta ha promediado 16.7 puntos, 13.5 rebotes, 3.7 asistencias, 2 tapones y 2 robos por partido.

3. DIRK NOWITZKI (Dallas Mavericks). Cuatro partidos y cuatro victorias para Dallas. En todas ellos gran presencia del alero alemán, y sobre todo ha sido decisivo. Decidió en Milwaukee y también los hizo en Detroit con canastas en los últimos instantes, y sobre todo lo hizo ante los Spurs con una auténtica exhibición (41 puntos y 12 rebotes). Nowitzki ha comenzado la temporada de una manera portentosa, aunque su equipo no le acaba de ayudar tanto como a él le gustaría, Dallas va ganando sus partidos.

4. PAU GASOL (Los Ángeles Lakers). La vuelta a las canchas del Ala-pívot de Sant Boi ha sido espectacular. En su primer partido 24 puntos y 13 rebotes para derrotar a Chicago Bulls. Además ha sido uno de los hombres de la semana porque han salido a la luz las imágenes de su cameo en la serie CSI. Toda una vuelta de cine, la de Gasol.

5. DARREN COLLISON (New Orleans Hornets). Rookie y base suplente de Chris Paul, uno de los mejores bases de la liga. Con esta situación de pocos minutos puede disponer este joven base proveniente de la universidad de UCLA. Sin embargo, los planetas se han alineado para él y las malas noticias para los Hornets se han convertido en buenas para él: Chris Paul se ha lesionado, por tanto, ha llegado su oportunidad. Después unos dos primeros partidos dubitativo ahora parece que se ha soltado y ha llevado a su equipo a llevar dos partidos consecutivos. Aunque las estadísticas no lo reflejen (11 puntos y 4 asistencias de media en estos 4 partidos), Collison está jugando realmente bien y está consiguiendo redirigir la situación de unos Hornets que residían en una dinámica muy negativa.

6. JOAKIM NOAH (Chicago Bulls). Maravilloso momento de forma de Noah. El dinámico ala-pívot de los Bulls se está multiplicando y presenta candidatura a jugador defensivo del año y jugador más mejorado de la temporada. 12.1 puntos y 12.6 rebotes demuestran la explosión de este jugador tan infravalorado.

7. PAUL MILLSAP (Utah Jazz). El alero de Utah está recuperando el hambre y el nivel de juego de la temporada pasada. Esta semana ha ayudado a su equipo ha hacer un record 3-1. Por fin parece estar aportando desde el banquillo y comienza a hacer partidos de auténtico microondas, donde anota todo lo que le llega a las manos mientras está en pista. 14 puntos de media desde el banquillo y unos porcentajes muy altos (63.9%) demuestran que Millsap está volviendo.

8. J.R. SMITH (Denver Nuggets). Un día le duró que le llamaran Earl Smith. El otra vez J.R. Smith ha vuelto después de la sanción con ganas de anotar. 16 tiros de promedio facilitan que anote con asiduidad, sin embargo, el escolta de los Nuggets está fino. Y ha vuelto esta semana con 20 puntos ante Lakers en 23 minutos y 29 en 22 ante Toronto para ganar ambos partidos. El retorno del racheado Smith les ha sentado de perlas a unos Nuggets con Carmelo dependencia.

Brand quiere volver a ser mister 20-10

9. ELTON BRAND (Philadelphia 76Sixers). Ni la lesión de Marreese Speights parecía que iba a ser bueno para Brand, muchas dudas sobre su flojo rendimiento hasta la fecha y la sombra de la suplencia comenzaba a amenazarle, y para disipar dudas el ala-pívot de los Sixers se marcó su mejor partido de las últimas temporadas: 19 puntos, 11 rebotes, 6 tapones, 3 recuperaciones y 2 tapones para ganar a los Bobcats. ¿Buenos tiempos para Brand?

10. DANNY GRANGER (Indiana Pacers). El jugador franquicia de Indiana tiene gran parte de culpa de las 2 victorias en 3 partidos de esta semana. Su partido contra Boston fue soberbio (29 puntos, 6 rebotes, 4 asistencias y 3 robos) y está manteniendo a unos flojos Pacers en un record positivo (5-4).

Daily Lies & Statistics: Back to School

Greg Fox — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:41:59 +0000

There were 12 games on last night’s slate and two major upsets. There were actually three upse

SET PLAY

hoopscoach — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:45:11 +0000

Watched the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs last night on ESPN and was able to catch the end of the Blazers-Pistons game on Fox Detroit live from Portland; this after doing some advance scouting at Lansing Community College (The Stars played the Mott Bears) two tough teams that we have to play against twice this year.

Dirk Nowitzki went off for 41 points last night in leading the Mavs to a 99-94 overtime win. (Dirk dropped 11 of the Mavs 15 points in the extra session) The one area that caught my eye after reading the boxscore was in 44 minutes of burn, Dirk didn’t record a single assist. Maybe it was because Jason Terry and Jason Kidd shot a combined 5-25. Upon further review, when you can score like that, who needs to share the ball. Dirk likes to catch the ball on the high post, face up to the basket and score on his man. At times he will take the ball to the basket and finish with either hand. I’ve never been a big Nowitzki fan in the past but after watching him the past few nights, I’m starting to warm up to him. It boggles my mind as to why the Spurs didn’t double team him more often? Make someone else beat you. If the Mavs only had a decent center, they would make a run at the Western conference championship.

(Courtesy of NBA.Com)

Dallas only turned the ball over five times in the game; as opposed to Richard Jefferson of the Spurs who committed five himself. Spurs coach Greg Popovich was calling for more ball movement and people movement in the huddle. That makes sense. You get the defense moving and possibly breaking down.

Is the Mavs shooting coach on vacation? They shot 3-17 from distance last night. Time to get some extra shots up…

ESPN’s Mark Jackson made a good point during the telecast, ‘You’re the fastest player on the floor, act like it.” Not really sure who is was talking about though. Speaking of Action Jackson, the former Loughlin Lion CHSAA all-star, seems out of place without his buddy Jeff Van Gundy.

I noticed Monte Mathis behind Mavs bench, clipboard in hand. Mathis used to be a college assistant and one day we were sitting together at the Nike camp watching high school players go through drills in Indy. While Herb Livsey (NBA scout and basketball trainer) was lecturing the kids on footwork, Monte was a bit too loud for Herb, who proceeded to yell at us…Sorry Herb.

This has nothing to do with the game but why must ESPN show Mark Cuban after every single play? Does he really make a difference? He’s got some entourage huh? Does he get his t-shirts at baby Gap?

Brandon Roy had a great comment last night after Portland’s win over Detroit. He was asked about his team, “Our defense is better, we’re making the effort on defense.”

Interesting question asked during Pistons telecast on Fox last night during game about Blazers center Greg Oden’s future. 12% of Pistons fans said he is going to the Hall of Fame. Huh?

Pistons assistant coach Darryl Walker was a good defensive player in his day-Quick hands, got down in a stance and was a tough son-of-a-bitch. Did you know he was one of Hubie Brown’s favorite players in New York when Hubie was the coach?

Memo to NBA Marketing people; If there happen to be open seats courtside, and by half-time those ‘rich’ folks have not arrived, teams should send their interns up (or even Dance squads) top and bring down the real fans to fill them at half-time. Can you imagine how a father of two kids would feel sitting way up top in the nose bleed seats to be asked to come down to courtside and get a close up look of their favorite players? Which takes me back to the 80’s when I would buy a ticket at Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks for $4 only to sneak way down to courtside and listen to Hubie Brown coach his team. “POWER RIGHT, POWER RIGHT!”, was the usual call coming from the Knicks bench.

For what it’s worth, Lebron James WOULD make a very good NFL player despite what Jeremy Shockey thinks/says…James has strength, speed and most of all, courage. If Antonio Gates can be a success in the NFL after playing college basketball, James would be all-pro.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

I’m on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

Dallas Mavericks 99 - San Antonio Spurs 94 (OT)

stepupyagame — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:34:14 +0000

Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his game-high 41 points in overtime last night in a 99-94 win over the Spurs. Drew Gooden added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks. Tim Duncan led his team with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

~Signing Off~
AGE

2009-2010: CAPÍTULO 3

elblogdelbaloncestero — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:07:12 +0000

Una vez transcurrida una nueva semana y sobre todo un nuevo fin de semana, vamos a comentar las noti

Retire #23?

joechicagosports — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:21:52 +0000

Not everyone loves MJ LeBron James gave homage to Michael Jordan over the weekend when he told repor

Nowitzki Hits the Game-Winner in OT

slanch — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Dirk Nowitzki is really good at basketball, for example, in the waning seconds of last night’s Mavericks/Bucks contest he took the ball to the foul line and despite a defender being right in his face, Dirk NAILS the shot to give the Mavs the win in overtime. Awesome!

The Whole 9....

yourwrong — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:52:22 +0000

It’s been a long time …..but I’m back and rejuvenated heading into the end of the

Rockets Come Back from 3 Days off and Get Hammered by Mavs. 4 - 3 on the Year.

multatuli34 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:51:27 +0000

The Rockets opened their road trip with a visit to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. Even though it is early in the season, this was a big game in the division and would determine 1st place early on. Both teams sat atop the Southwest Division at 4 – 2 and, more importantly, a win would give the young Rockets momentum and confidence that they have real shot.

Erick Dampier started off the game with a really easy lay-up courtesy of Jason Kidd and a lack of concentration by the Rockets’ defense. That was not a good sign already and Dampier would end up with 14 points and 20 rebounds!

Other than the center position, the Rockets were looking good to get the game going. Aaron Brooks had a sexy lay-up with his left hand, Trevor Ariza powered an “and 1″ over Dampier and Chuck Hayes had a steal that he pushed the ball up the court himself to set Luis Scola up for a lay-up, Shane Battier hit a 3 for the 19th straight game, Brooks came across the lane with a running hook over 3 Mavs and Carl Landry came in with an immediate offensive impact. Brooks finished the 1st quarter with 14points on 5/6 shooting and the Rockets were up 37 – 28.

It may have been a little closer but Ariza blocked Quinton Ross on a 3 point attempt. Dallas violated the shot clock on that possession but it was the last time Houston would play defense in the game. And the offense would only last another quarter.

Brooks hit a really tough 3 from the corner and Kyle Lowry and Landry continued to run well together, as they have all season. Both teams really started to pick up the pace with about 7:00 to go in the half and David Andersen’s performance was indicative of the entire team. He had 13 points but it took him 12 shots and he played absolutely no defense. The team had 103 points but they shot only 42.7% and gave up 121 points.

Despite Dampier’s height, the game still looked to be in the Rockets’ grasp until Kidd found Dampier for an alley-oop to make it 61 – 49. The Mavs took off after that play and continued to a 12 – 0 run to close the gap to 61 – 57 by the end of the 2nd. The Rockets helped the Mavs out with several turnovers and quick shots over that stretch.

Landry’s 13 points and Brooks’ 19 points gave Houston cause for optomism in the lockerroom but those 2 guys wouldn’t have the same impact in the 2nd half and nobody else would step up.

Dallas came out with a backdoor lob to Josh Howard that was so easy that Terrence Howard could have scored it. On the next play Dirk Nowitzki went right past Scola and drew the foul. Dirk embarrassed Scola all night and it was obvious that Hayes should have switched and had Scola guard Dampier. Why is Hayes on the floor if he’s not going to guard somebody? He’s worthless if he spends the defensive possession standing next to Dampier while Dirk makes Scola jump all over the court.

To compound the problem, the offense had a few shots rattle in and out and they started hanging their heads and not running back on “D.” The Mavs got a few easy lay-ups and this let them get rolling on offense. Battier was actually part of the problem this time; he missed 4 consecutive shots (that’s consecutive shots for the team, not just 4 of his shots). This quarter was infuriating to watch because Scola was getting crushed but Landry sat on the pine, Battier was struggling while Studinger watched and Brooks didn’t look to take over even though he was on fire in the 1st half. Poor job by Rick Adelman this time around.

JJ Barea knocked in 2 three-pointers near the end of the 3rd to open the lead up to 83 – 74 Mavs. That means it was 28 – 15 for the period; not exactly the 2nd half adjustments we were looking for.

The entire night was summed by Lowry, Budinger and Ariza on a fast break where Lowry missed the lay-up, Budinger missed the wide open tip-in, Ariza couldn’t control the rebound and Budinger missed another tip try then fouled. (Sorry, I couldn’t find the video).

It happened again later in the 4th when Houston could’ve cut the lead to single digits but Brooks made an awful entry pass to Andersen in the post and Jason Terry ended up with a dunk on the other end. That was about all she wrote and Adelman emptied the bench in disgust. Maybe he should’ve emptied Carl Landry’s seat sooner in the 3rd and the game would’ve been closer.

At least Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Jermaine Taylor got a couple of minutes. Pops goaltended a shot and altered another as a presence in the paint on defense. Adelman has to find time for him when the opposing centers are going for 14 and 20. Taylor drew 3 fouls and knocked in 5/6 from the line. If you have a guy like him who can score, why do you now put him in when the team is struggling to score? And Landry was Player of the Game but only played 25 minutes.

103 – 121 final score.

Positives:

1. This is tough one. Maybe….well…uh…. Carl Landry was about it.

2. There definitely weren’t 2 good things.

Negatives:

1. Adelman did a pathetic job tonight. Scola shouldn’t have been guarding Dirk. Budinger and Landry should’ve played much more. Pops should’ve gotten a chance against Dampier.

2. Ariza was a no-show.

Glad There’s a Game Tonight so I Can Forget This One,

Multatuli

Houston Rockets (4-2)

	Field Goals				Rebounds
	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	+/-	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	ba	pts
S. Battier	1-8	1-6	0-0	-24	0	1	1	3	1	1	0	0	1	3
L. Scola	5-11	0-0	2-2	-7	1	3	4	1	3	1	0	0	2	12
C. Hayes	0-2	0-0	0-0	-9	2	2	4	1	0	3	2	0	1	0
T. Ariza	3-10	1-3	2-3	-12	1	4	5	2	1	2	3	1	0	9
A. Brooks	7-15	3-8	5-6	-5	1	1	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	22
C. Landry	7-9	0-0	5-5	-10	1	1	2	0	4	1	0	1	0	19
K. Lowry	5-7	1-1	1-4	-5	1	3	4	5	5	1	5	0	0	12
C. Budinger	1-7	0-3	2-2	-9	2	7	9	3	3	1	0	0	0	4
D. Andersen	5-12	0-2	3-4	-12	2	3	5	0	4	1	1	1	1	13
P. Mensah-Bonsu	1-1	0-0	2-2	+1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
J. Taylor	0-0	0-0	5-6	+1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
B. Cook	0-0	0-0	0-0	+1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Insider Opinion: 11/11/09

tp3ncsu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:44:54 +0000

Only six days after winning in Washington behind 40 points from Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat again beat the Wizards with another stellar showing from their Superstar gaurd. Wade’s 41 points pulled the Heat to a Southwest Division best 6-1 record which puts them in second in the Eastern Conference. The loss is the fifth straight for the struggling Wizards who have faltered since a promising opening night win. Gilbert Arenas has had a woeful stretch throughout the losing streak which continued on Tuesday. Arenas committed a career-worst twelve turnovers and shot only 35 percent from the field in the fourteen point defeat.

Insider Opinion: Wade has a team with only average talent playing at a very high level. Arenas played poorly and was out dueled by Wade for the second time this year. Andray Blatche was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal performance for Washington. He came up only five assists short of recording the second triple-double in the NBA this season. The great start the Heat are off to certainly won’t hurt the chances that Wade will return to Miami next season.

Jason Terry had twelve of his game-high twenty-four points in the fourth quarter of the Mavericks 121-103 win over the Houston Rockets. Terry, who only missed one of his eight shots, was helped by twenty-three points from Dirk Nowitzki and a fourteen point twenty rebound double-double from Erick Dampier. Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry led Houston in the losing effort, combining for forty-one of the team’s 103 points on fifty-eight percent from the field. At one point before halftime, Dallas faced a deficit of seventeen points. The Mavs closed the gap by exploding into a 22-3 run, taking control of the game for good.

Insider Opinion: Jason Terry is back to being the spark off he bench that the Mavs need him to be. He is playing very efficiently his last three games, scoring 26 points per game on seventy-one percent from the field. Erick Dampier has stepped up nicely this year with the departure of Brandon Bass in the offseason. He had his third double-double of the season on Tuesday. IF Terry and Dampier can keep up their sharp play the Mavs will continue their winning ways.

Top Ten: Pictures of Drunk Athletes

letsblogsports — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:45:20 +0000

Inspired by Frank’s picture of Vince Young, here is the top ten pictures of athletes looking bombed out of their mind. Enjoy.

10. Yao Ming

9. Matt Leinart

8. John Daly

7. Eli Manning

6. Ben Roethlisberger

5. Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Doesnt that look like somebody we know?

4. Michael Jordan

3. Ricky Hatton

2. Kyle Orton

1. Dirk Nowitzki

Finally Digging Dirk

Tracy Hackler — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:55:46 +0000

It occurred to me during a recent “Box Busters” episode – as I stared longingly into the vibrant fib

20 Years Since the Hoff Tore Down the Berlin Wall

adas4 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:01:20 +0000

Today several world leaders are in Berlin celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Sadly missing from the celebratory events is David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff to sing, “Looking for Freedom”. To commemorate this great event, here is a clip from the Hoff performing on top of the Berlin Wall New Years Eve 1990. With it’s indelible lyrics “I’ve been lookin’ for freedom; I’ve been lookin’ so long; I’ve been lookin’ for freedom; still the search goes on”, the song served as the anthem for the Fall as it embodied the frustrations of the Germans over the divisions. It is a shame Germany still refuses to acknowledge or honor the Hoff for his reunion efforts. No statues, no monuments, or even a picture at the Berlin Museum. Despite the lack of recognition, the Hoff continues to make peacemaking efforts with the German people. In 2006, he helped its native son, Dirk Nowitzki overcome his propensity to choke in the NBA playoffs and guide the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. As you drink your Pilsners and Dortmunders to celebrate this great occasion, lets give thanks to the man instrumental in making this day possible. Tausend Dank Hoff!