The AP reports: Mike Bibby scored 21 points and buried Los Angeles with his improbable 3, leading the Atlanta Hawks to an 86-76 victory in which they took advantage of an ailing Bryant and dropped the Lakers farther behind Cleveland in the race for the NBA’s best overall record… The Lakers secured the top seed in the Western Conference with a five-game winning streak, but Bryant had just 17 points on 7-of-19 shooting. He missed the morning meal and film session because of an upset stomach, then had his second straight subpar game… Pau Gasol was the only other Los Angeles player in double figures, leading with 21 points, as the Lakers made just 35 percent (28 of 80) from the field… Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and 13 rebounds, leading a strong effort by the thin Hawks bench.
Month: March 2009
Cavaliers top Mavs 102-74 for 12th straight win
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 24 points with 12 assists while orchestrating Cleveland’s show on and off the floor as the Cavs made more history with a 102-74 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, hitting the 60-win mark and extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 straight… Cleveland is the 61st team to win 60 games in the regular season. Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 for the Mavericks, who came in with a three-game lead over Phoenix for the No. 8 playoff spot in the West. Dallas was held to a season-low in points… Mo Williams added 22 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 14 and Joe Smith had his best game since returning to the Cavs, adding 12 points with 13 rebounds and was Cleveland’s only consistent player in the first half.
Mark Cuban fined for Twitter comments
The AP reports: The NBA slapped Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with a $25,000 fine Sunday for publicly criticizing the officials after Denver’s 103-101 win over Dallas. Cuban used the Twitter online social network to complain after Friday night’s game that Denver’s J.R. Smith was not called for coming off the bench to taunt Antoine Wright after he missed a shot near the Nuggets bench.
James Posey suspended for throwing ball at ref
James Posey of the New Orleans Hornets has been suspended one game without pay for throwing a ball at a game official, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
The incident occurred with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter of the New York Knicks 103-93 victory over the Hornets at Madison Square Garden on Friday, March 27.
Posey will serve his suspension tonight when the Hornets host the San Antonio Spurs at the New Orleans Arena.
Thunder re-assign DJ White to D-League
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has re-assigned forward D.J. White to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.
White was previously assigned to the 66ers on March 18 before being recalled on March 23. During his first stint in Tulsa, he appeared in three games averaging 17.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 assist in 37.7 minutes. He is expected to be in uniform tonight when Tulsa hosts Bakersfield at 6:00 P.M.
NBA teams can assign up to two players who are rookies or in their second season to their D-League affiliate. Players can stay with the D-League team for as long as the team wishes, and be recalled back to the NBA at any time. However, a player can only be sent to the D-League a maximum of three times during the season.
Kevin Durant likes Oklahoma City
The Boston Globe (Marc J. Spears) reports: There were a lot of unknowns for Kevin Durant concerning what basketball and life would be like in Oklahoma. But in a short time, the budding superstar has come to a conclusion. “I love it,” said Durant in a telephone interview. “The weather is unpredictable. You don’t know when it’s going to snow or rain. But the people here are nice. Nice people. I didn’t know anything about it other than playing here in college [at the University of Texas]. Flat land. “But after coming here and seeing the city, I love Oklahoma. The fans have been with me every night. What more can you ask for?” What Thunder fans can ask for are more wins, as the former SuperSonics visit TD Banknorth Garden tonight with a 20-52 record. But with Durant, other talented young players, plenty of draft picks, and money to use in free agency, Durant believes the future is bright.
Review: Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches
BRIDGEST’S SEXIEST BEACHES REVIEW
Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches is a new show on the travel channel.
A beautiful blond impossible to avoid gawking at, Bridget Marquardt travels to beautiful, tropical beach destinations, bounces around and giggles as the locals show her around.
I’ve seen two episodes of the show so far and both focus on exactly what you’d want from a beach-focused travel show: amazing scenery and tours of all the hot spots worth visiting in places like Australia, Croatia, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Thailand and elsewhere.
According to the Travel Channel’s official site, Bridget has a B.A. in communications from California State University Sacramento and a masters degree in communications from the University of the Pacific in Stockton.
Bridget’s Sexiest beaches is a must-watch if you enjoy shows about paradise with amazing nature, ocean views and a lovable, half-naked blond who every guy on the planet would love to have as a travel partner.
Roy leads Blazers past Grizzlies, 86-66
The AP reports: For the second straight game, the Portland Trail Blazers routed an opponent. LaMarcus Aldridge made the difference—again. Aldridge had 18 points and seven rebounds in Portland’s 86-66 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. While Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 21 points and eight rebounds, Aldridge brought the intangibles. Coach Nate McMillan called it one of his best games of the year… Aldridge had 29 points and 12 rebounds in Portland’s 129-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night… O.J. Mayo had 12 points, while Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each added 10 for the Grizzlies, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games. They were held to their lowest scoring output this season.
Okur scores 26, Jazz rally past Suns in OT
The AP reports: Deron Williams scored seven of his 21 points in overtime, and the Utah Jazz rallied for a 104-99 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, blowing a 21-point, third-quarter lead before tying it with a frenzied comeback at the end of regulation. Williams also had 13 assists and scored Utah’s last four points during a 9-2 run to close the fourth quarter and force overtime with the game tied at 90. Williams only had one field goal in OT, but was 5-for-5 from the foul line and made all nine of his free throws for the night. Mehmet Okur finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who won their 14th straight at home. Steve Nash scored 20 points and Grant Hill added 19 points for the Suns… Shaquille O’Neal finished with 16 points, going 4-for-5 from the foul line, and 10 rebounds, and Matt Barnes had 14 points and 10 boards for the Suns.
Anthony’s 31 points lead Nuggets past Warriors
The AP reports: After two gutty road wins, the Denver Nuggets weren’t going to let the banged-up Warriors hurt their chances for a division title. Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points, Linas Kleiza had 22 and the Nuggets won their third straight with a 129-116 victory over Golden State on Saturday night. Chauncey Billups had 14 and Chris Andersen added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who maintained a 1 1/2 -game lead over Portland in the Northwest Division and have won eight of their last nine games… Jamal Crawford had 30 points and Kelenna Azubuike scored 21 for the Warriors, who have lost four straight and five of their last six.