The AP reports: Even without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs are still using the same formula to win games. Michael Finley scored 21 points and Tim Duncan had 20, including two key baskets in the final minute, in the Spurs’ 90-88 victory over Sacramento on Sunday night… Against the Kings, Roger Mason had 18 points, Matt Bonner added 11 and Jacque Vaughn had 10. Yet it was a tenacious fourth-quarter defense that limited the Kings to 5-of-18 shooting and gave the Spurs a 23-16 edge in the decisive final quarter… John Salmons had a season-high 31 points for the Kings, who have dropped two straight. Beno Udrih added 16 points, Quincy Douby had 12 and Brad Miller finished with 10 points and eight rebounds… The Kings continue to play without injured scoring leader Kevin Martin and top reserve Francisco Garcia.
Month: November 2008
Derrick Rose is a star
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose already looks like a star. He’s exceeding even the highest expectations anyone could have set for him and if early season performances are any indication Rose could wind up in the same sentence as young PG stars Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the future. Here’s the Chicago Tribune (K.C. Johnson):
If Rose can maintain his averages of 18.9 points, 5.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds, he would join Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Grant Hill, Alvan Adams, Steve Francis and Magic Johnson as the only rookies to average 18, 5 and 5. Rose’s prodigious talent and unique rookie consistency are a big reason the Bulls (5-5) are off to just their third .500-or-better start after 10 games since Jordan left town. To hear Rose tell it, Vinny Del Negro deserves credit as well. “He’s always talking to me and making sure I understand the different situations I’m seeing,” Rose said. “It feels good knowing that he has my back. He and my teammates are always helping me, teaching me stuff. They’re like my big brothers.”
Rose’s emergence makes it even more obvious that the Bulls may someday trade Kirk Hinrich, who is talented but not quite living up to his contract and doesn’t have the potential Rose appears to have.
Rookie Anthony Morrow scores 37 points
On Saturday, the Golden State Warriors beat the Clippers in Los Angeles 121-103. Warriors rookie Anthony Morrow started at guard alongside Kelenna Azubuike and went bonkers, scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Here’s the Contra Costa Times (Marcus Thompson II):
One day later, the buzz was still flying around Warriors rookie guard Anthony Morrow. A television interview on the Sunday evening local news. Sports magazines working on feature stories about him. Fans still talking about his first NBA career start: a 37-point, 11-rebound performance in Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Still, despite the Warriors having the day off, he found himself in the gym Sunday, getting up shots and working on his game. “Nothing like this will change me,” Morrow said in the midst of the postgame hysteria he caused Saturday. “The grind never stops.” His record performance — most points by an undrafted player in his rookie season and most points by a rookie this season — may have changed the Warriors for the better. It certainly gave the team a much-needed shot of energy and hope, which came in a timely fashion after Thursday’s heartbreaking loss to Detroit. It gave the Warriors another commodity to add to their portfolio of young talent to build on or barter.
The San Francisco Chronicle (Janny Hu) reports:
“It was a fun game, man,” said a humble Morrow, who added 11 rebounds in his 42 minutes on the court. “I just wake up every day like, ‘I’m in the NBA.’ I thank God for it. “I played against Allen Iverson last game. I played against Baron Davis. I grew up in Charlotte watching him play all the time (when I was) in high school. It was just a great game.” So great that Morrow didn’t just play against his idol in Saturday’s matinee. He torched Davis. And Cuttino Mobley. And just about everyone else the Clippers put on him once they finally decided to guard him. Warriors coach Don Nelson gave Morrow the surprise start so he could match up Stephen Jackson against Davis at point guard, and it wasn’t long before the move paid off.
In the game, Morrow shot 15-of-20, including 4-of-5 three-pointers, plus 3-of-3 free throws, finishing with 37 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in just under 42 minutes.
Seattle team chase faces challenges
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Chris McGann) reports: The latest plan to bring pro basketball back to Seattle now that its team has been sold and moved to Oklahoma City faces enormous challenges as it heads to the 2009 legislative session. The city of Seattle proposal for financing a major remodel of KeyArena — a prerequisite for getting a new NBA team — would raise $75 million with a 1 percent Seattle hotel tax currently collected to pay debt on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The city would provide another $75 million with revenue and admissions taxes from KeyArena. A group of investors, including Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and Seattle developer Matt Griffin, is seeking to buy a new NBA team to play in Seattle and has agreed to contribute $150 million to for the arena upgrade. But all of that depends on persuading state lawmakers to allow the city to keep that 1 percent hotel tax.
Jerry Stackhouse fading away
Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse is having a horrible season. In 17.6 minutes per game he’s averaging 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds on 29.1% shooting and 18.8% three-pointers. Sunday in New York he was in street clothes due to being put on the team’s inactive list. Here’s the Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reporting:
Stackhouse didn’t want to talk about it after the game, but team president Donnie Nelson said the coaching staff informed Stackhouse on Sunday morning about the decision. Nelson said there is no internal problem with Stackhouse, who is shooting 29 percent for the season. Said coach Rick Carlisle: “He was just inactive. I talked to him about it. I’m going to talk to him [today] and see about the next game. He’s fine. It was matchups and some other stuff. But it’s not a big deal.”
In the league since 1995, Stackhouse has been fading. His last 20+ ppg scoring season was in 2002-03 with the Washington Wizards. A career 41.0% shooter, last season Stack averaged 10.7 ppg. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the coming few weeks.
Nov 16: Suns 104, Pistons 86
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire had 29 points and 11 rebounds and the Suns overcame Shaquille O’Neal’s second-quarter ejection to beat the Detroit Pistons 104-86… Steve Nash, back from a one-game suspension for his part in a skirmish with several Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, added 17 points and seven assists for the Suns, who were without two players even before O’Neal was tossed for a flagrant foul with 5:19 left in the first half. Boris Diaw had 13 points for Phoenix. Richard Hamilton scored 19 for the Pistons, who entered the game 3-0 on a four-game western swing that began Tuesday. In their previous stop, they handed the Lakers their first loss of the season Friday night in Los Angeles. Detroit’s Allen Iverson scored nine points on 4-for-17 shooting.
Nov 16: Nuggets 90, Wolves 84
The AP reports: Chauncey Billups scored 26 points, J.R. Smith had eight of his 14 points in a decisive fourth-quarter stretch and the Denver Nuggets overcame poor shooting to hand Minnesota its eighth straight loss, 90-84 on Sunday night. Carmelo Anthony added 14 points and 12 rebounds to help Denver improve to 5-1 since the Nuggets acquired Billups in the trade that sent Allen Iverson to Detroit. Al Jefferson had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Randy Foye added 18 points for Minnesota. The Timberwolves haven’t won since beating Sacramento in their opener… The Nuggets won despite a poor shooting night from Billups and Anthony, who were a combined 11-for-40 from the field.
Nov 16: Mavs 124, Knicks 114 OT
The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored seven of his season-high 39 points in overtime and grabbed 15 rebounds, and the Mavericks snapped a five-game skid with a 124-114 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday. Josh Howard added season highs of 31 points and 14 rebounds… They were down 15 in the first half and trailed for almost all the first 48 minutes, then tied it with a furious rally and didn’t allow a field goal in overtime… Jason Terry scored 16 of his 20 points after halftime for the Mavs, who avoided their first six-game skid since Feb. 29-March 9, 2000. Reserves James Singleton and Brandon Bass each added 12… Zach Randolph had 27 points and 18 rebounds in his eighth straight double-double for the Knicks, who were 0-for-9 in overtime and lost for the first time this season when scoring 100 points… Quentin Richardson had 17 points and Chris Duhon added 16 points and 12 assists. Jamal Crawford also had 16 points.
Nov 16: Magic 90, Bobcats 85
The AP reports: Dwight Howard has played a role in winning more than a few games for the Orlando Magic in his career. On Sunday night, the Magic showed that they can win a game without him. Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead four Orlando players in double figures in a 90-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Mickael Pietrus added 18 points, Rashard Lewis had 17 and Jameer Nelson 15 for Orlando, which overcame a five-point halftime deficit for its third straight road win… Gerald Wallace scored 17 points, and Raymond Felton and Adam Morrison had 14 each for the Bobcats, who led 51-47 with seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Nov 16: Raptors 107, Heat 96
The AP reports: Chris Bosh scored 27 points, Jermaine O’Neal had 11 points and 18 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors snapped a two-game losing streak with a 107-96 victory over the Heat on Sunday. Kris Humphries scored 14 points and Andrea Bargnani added 12 in his first start of the season. Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker each had 10. Dwyane Wade scored 29 for Miami, with Daequan Cook adding a season-high 16 and Michael Beasley 13. Chris Quinn had 11 points and Udonis Haslem added 10 for the Heat… Toronto guard Jose Calderon sat out with a strained right hamstring and was replaced by Will Solomon, who finished with 15 points and 11 assists.