The AP reports: Ben Gordon then buried the free throw to complete the go-ahead four-point play, Derrick Rose and Tyrus Thomas made strong contributions late, and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Detroit Pistons 107-102 on Tuesday night… The Pistons were without Allen Iverson, who had the flu. Even so, they appeared to be in good shape… Richard Hamilton, who scored 30, was at a loss to decipher this one, too… Rose, who finished with 23 points, scored nine in the final 4 minutes and started that 9-0 run with two free throws… Tyrus Thomas, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, added a put-back basket and blocked a layup by Stuckey during that spurt.
Day: February 11, 2009
No Charles Barkley in Phoenix All-Star
The East Valley Tribune (with wire reports) reports: Charles Barkley will sit out TNT’s coverage of All-Star weekend in Phoenix after his arrest in Scottsdale on suspicion of drunken driving. Barkley was expected to return to the air sometime in the second half of the season. Barkley took a leave of absence from his TV responsibilities last month, the day tests showed that his blood-alcohol level was at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.
Timberwolves adjusting to life without Al Jefferson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Brian Murphy) reports: With star center Al Jefferson sidelined indefinitely because of a knee injury, the Timberwolves improvised an offensive scheme Tuesday that will be sketched in pencil the rest of the season. Rebounding savant Kevin Love absorbed more responsibilities as the 20-year-old rookie replaced Jefferson against the Toronto Raptors at Target Center. Sliding into Love’s power forward position was Ryan Gomes. That reopened a spot in the rotation for sharpshooter Mike Miller, who was plagued by a sprained ankle and shooting slump that forced him to come off the bench the previous 19 games… “We’re not dead. We’re not out. Everybody just needs to step up,” Love said. “We’ve all stepped up our game a little bit, but it’s going to have to be more. Different productivity from different players, including myself.”
Shaq says Kobe is better than LeBron
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Jodie Valade) reports: If Sunday’s Cavaliers-Lakers game wasn’t enough evidence, take Shaquille O’Neal’s word for it. Kobe Bryant is better. LeBron James? He’s pretty good, too. But Kobe is the best the Big Diesel has ever played with. “Kobe’s probably a 10,” O’Neal said Tuesday night. “LeBron’s a 9.7, 9.8. He’s a fabulous player who does it the right way and gets everybody involved. Those guys [Cavaliers] are playing at a very, very high level right now because of him.”