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.
Day: November 16, 2008
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.
Mavs at Knicks game notes
Sunday evening in Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks hosted the Dallas Mavericks. NY enters the game with 6 wins and 3 losses while struggling Dallas is 2-7. InsideHoops.com presents raw, uneditede game notes taken live in MSG as the game happened.
Gerald Green started at shooting guard for Dallas. And their first sub off the bench was Clippers cast-off James Singleton.
New music clip in the live-game MSG music rotation: Beastie Boys singing “What’s the time… It’s time to get ill!”
The Knicks are hot early, leading 16-9 with seven quick Zach Randolph points plus five from Jamal Crawford. Dirk Nowitzki has six for the Mavs.
The Knicks like to shoot open shots quickly, even if they just came up the floor. Quentin Richardson does this and nails a three putting NY up 10.
Knicks fans don’t get particularly excited when David Lee enters the game anymore. They are just as happy to see Nate Robinson.
Dirk is burning everyone who guards him with outside stand-still jumpers.
Randolph can make open threes. As he just reminded Dallas. And a minute later he pops a deep two.
Mavs players seem to not create for each other. Almost all of Dirk’s shots are from him standing still, facing the defender and simply shooting over him.
End of first quarter: Knicks 35, Mavs 26. The Knicks shot 60%, the Mavs 41.4%. For NY Randolph had 16 points and six rebounds. Jamal Crawford scored seven. Chris Duhon had four assists. For Dallas, Dirk scored 11 with five rebounds. J-Ho had nine with four rebounds.
The Mavs offense looks random. It has sped up now, with guys driving in circles and passing to guys who aren’t really in position to do anything.
The Knicks have 50 and the second quarter is almost half over.
With Kidd back in the faster Mavs movement appears to make more sense but they still trail by eight with a few minutes left in the half. They have energy now, though.
Dirk finally drove. And drew a hack.
The Mavs looked like a real basketball team in the second quarter. They were aggressive and got to the loine more. They need to make a habit of this.
End of first half: Knicks 64, Mavs 57. For NY Randolph has 20 points and 11 rebounds. Crawford has 11. David Lee has 10 with six rebounds. For Dallas Dirk has 26 on 14 shots with nine rebounds. Josh Howard has 13. Jason Kidd has four assists and little else.
Dallas starts the third quarter strong and looks like they should. This with their four usual starters plus Jason Terry.
Q-Rich drives right baseline past a caught-off-guard J-Ho and crams a surprising reverse dunk. However, in general Q does not look as quick as he needs to be.
Standing ovation for Plaxico Buress and Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants. Earlier in the game Magic Johnson also got love.
Nice left baseline jumper from Brandon Bass. Knicks lead by seven.
Jason Terry hits a three over a slow-moving Q-Rich.
Wilson Chandler has a beautiful, high-arc jumper. He can hit it with a defender on him.
A double on Dirk leaves JJ Barea open and he swishes a deep jumper which ties the game at 86.
Surrounded by defenders down low, Randolph saw Lee start to cut down the middle of the paint and hit him with a perfect pass for a dunk. See folks, Zach can pass, sometimes.
End of third quarter: Knicks 91 Mavs 89. Randolph now has 25 and 17. Crawford has 16. Chandler 14. Chris Duhon has nine assists. For Dallas Dirk has 28 and 11. Jason Terry was hot in the third and now has 18.
In the fourth a Berea three makes it a one point game. His outside shot is legit.
Richardson is doing it from outside. He can launch quickly and drain it. Knicks up 101-96.
Kidd backs Robinson way down near the basket and dishes out for a wide open Howard jumper. And Howard scores again. The Mavs need him to help lead, not follow.
Dirk is trying to do it alone, creating jumpers for himself and missing them.
Richardson keeps swishing threes. His latest gives NY a seven point lead.
Dirk heats up in the final few minutes though. And a Jason Terry slash ties it at 112.
As fans rise to their feet NY is unable to get a good shot. Richardson forces it and misses, Knicks keep it alive but can’t score, and the Mave have it with 9.5 seconds. Timeout.
Jason Terry tries to do it alone and misses a contested jumper. We have overtime.
The Mavs go nuts in overtime and run away with it. Dallas was on something like a 19 to 2 run towards the end of the fourth and in OT. The Knicks missed their final 13 shots. An exciting game in NY despite the loss.
Final score: Mavs 124, Knicks 114 OT.
Seattle produces ballers
New York Newsday (Alan Hahn) reports: Seattle no longer has an NBA team (for now), but among the best things to come out of the Emerarld City still includes basketball players. There is a growing contingent of NBA players from Seattle: Jason Terry, Brandon Roy, Spencer Hawes, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, Luke Ridnour and the Knicks’ own Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson. The list will continue to grow, for sure, especially with Louisville standout Terrence Williams on his way. And one of the Next Ones is a kid named Isaiah Thomas and if his name sounds familiar his game looks even more familiar. See if you can guess who he looks up to: 5-foot-nothing, a-hundred-and-nothing freshman at Washington who can score the ball from anywhere and buzzes around the court like a hedgehog on a six-pack of Amp.
Nov 15: Bulls 104, Pacers 91
The AP reports: Derrick Rose showed another dimension to his already impressive game and led the Chicago Bulls to a victory just before they start a tough seven-game road trip. Besides his quick first step and fearless forays to the basket, Rose displayed his 3-point shot Saturday night while scoring 23 points and helping the Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 104-91… Rose finished 3-of-5 on 3-pointers after going 2-for-9 in the first nine games… T.J. Ford led the Pacers with 16 points. Ford had a pair of baskets, one after a steal, as Indiana closed within two in the fourth before the Bulls took off… Nocioni scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds, Gordon chipped in 19 points and Rose added eight assists. Danny Granger had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Troy Murphy 12 points and 13 boards for the Pacers.
Nov 15: Celtics 102, Bucks 97 OT
The AP reports: Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer on a second chance, and he and Allen hit all six of their free throws, lifting Boston to a scrappy 102-97 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night… Pierce scored 28 points and Allen finished with 27, combining to hit 23 of 24 free throws. Boston went 32-of-36 as a team. Milwaukee hit its share, too, going 30-of-38 with the teams combining for 62 personal fouls, nine technicals and one ejection… Bucks rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who finished with 14 points, hit two free throws to give Milwaukee a 95-93 lead, but Pierce answered with a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound by Garnett to put Boston up by one… Milwaukee, already without leading scorer Michael Redd (right ankle) and Charlie Villanueva (hamstring strain), finished 1-for-11 in overtime after rallying from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Nov 15: Rockets 91, Hornets 82
The AP reports: The Houston Rockets refused to let a big fourth-quarter lead slip away two nights in a row. Yao Ming scored 21 points, Tracy McGrady added 18 points and nine rebounds, and the Rockets bottled up Chris Paul in a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday. Paul, who came in averaging 22 points, went 2-of-10 from the field and made all eight free throws to score 12. He had 12 assists, but the Hornets shot 41 percent (31-for-76) and were outrebounded 41-35. Luis Scola added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who led by 12 at the half and shot 53 percent (8-for-15) in the third quarter to take a 70-53 lead to the fourth. The Hornets couldn’t crack Houston’s double-digit lead until David West sank a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left… West scored 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Hornets. Tyson Chandler added 16 points and Devin Brown scored 13.