The AP reports: Ray Allen scored a season-high 35 points, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 122-117 in overtime on Sunday to increase their winning streak to 12 games. Kevin Garnett had 17 points, 20 rebounds and five steals, Paul Pierce had 17 points and eight rebounds and Eddie House had 15 points for Boston (20-2). The Celtics are on their longest win streak since 1986, when they won 14 straight on their way to the NBA title. Marquis Daniels led Indiana with a season-high 26 points. Danny Granger scored 20 points, but shot just 7-of-22 from the field… Indiana G Mike Dunleavy remains out with a sore right knee. He has not played this season.
Author: Inside Hoops
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Dec 7: Blazers 98, Raptors 97
The AP reports: Steve Blake drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 8 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers spoiled Toronto coach Jay Triano’s home debut with a 98-97 victory over the Raptors. LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and Blake added 19 for Portland, which has won six of seven. Rudy Fernandez scored 16 points, Brandon Roy had 15 and Greg Oden had 10 points and 10 rebounds… Jermaine O’Neal scored a season-high 24 and blocked six shots and Bosh added 19 points, but it wasn’t enough to give Triano his first win as the Raptors lost their fourth straight game… Jose Calderon had 15 points and 13 assists, and reserves Joey Graham and Jason Kapono had 10 points each.
Dec 7: Knicks 104, Pistons 92
The AP reports: Chris Duhon had 25 points and nine assists, Quentin Richardson scored 23 points, and the New York Knicks blew most of a 29-point lead before holding off the Detroit Pistons 104-92 Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak… Al Harrington finished with 18 points and Wilson Chandler had 17 for the Knicks, who avoided their first four-game skid of the season. David Lee had 12 points and 19 rebounds as all but nine points came from New York’s starters… Tayshaun Prince had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who fell to 7-8 since Allen Iverson’s debut with the team. Iverson and Arron Afflalo each finished with 17 points for the Pistons, who are 11-2 on the other days of the week.
P-Jax wants fewer Kobe defensive gambles
The Los Angeles Times (Broderick Turner) reports: Kobe Bryant is an eight-time member of the all-defensive team, but Coach Phil Jackson wants him to take fewer risks on defense. Bryant has been trying to get extra steals, doing a little too much freelancing for Jackson’s taste. “We’re trying to work with Kobe in staying inside the team framework of how we play defense,” Jackson said. “Because he’s such a good defensive player with great anticipation, sometimes he might take a foray into the steal market and come away empty-handed, which compromises our defense.” Jackson didn’t seem enthused that Bryant, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar have a season-long bet on which one of them will have the most steals.
Magic waive Jeremy Richardson
The Orlando Magic have waived Jeremy Richardson, General Manager Otis Smith announced today.
Richardson appeared in just one game this season for the Magic and did not score in two minutes. He played in three preseason contests, averaging 4.0 ppg. in 8.0 minpg.
Orlando’s roster now stands at 14 players. The Magic begin a five-game, eight-day road trip on Monday, December 8 @ L.A. Clippers. Orlando’s next home game is Thursday, December 18 vs. San Antonio. Game time is 8 pm ET.
Statement from Sam Mitchell
The Toronto Raptors recently fired head coach Sam Mitchell, replacing him with assistant Jay Triano on an interim basis. Bryan Colangelo told InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner and other reporters on a conference call that it’s quite likely Triano will finish out the season coaching the team.
Today, Mitchell released the following statement:
“Being the head coach of the Toronto Raptors has been a true pleasure and an honour for me. I owe a debt of gratitude to many for the opportunity – the MLSE Board of Directors, particularly Larry Tanenbaum and Richard Peddie, as well as Bryan Colangelo and Rob Babcock. MLSE is a first-class organization, and I hope I have positioned the franchise to move in the right direction.
I will miss Toronto. I have grown to love the city and believe Raptors fans are among the best in all of professional sports. Together we brought to the organization its first divisional championship and I will always cherish that.
I feel that I have grown as a coach and a person over the course of my time with the Raptors. I value the relationships that I have developed with the coaching staff, players, support staff and media. I assure you that Jay Triano and the coaching staff will continue to do all they can for the franchise to reach its potential and goals.
I wish the organization all the best the remainder of this season and in the future.”
Marco Belinelli unsure about playing for Italy
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Marco Belinelli hasn’t gotten many minutes yet in his short NBA career, and with the Warriors roster there’s no guarantee it’ll happen anytime soon. So he’ll be pretty rested up by the time international summer play arrives. But he isn’t sure of his plans yet. FIBA.com reports:
Marco Belinelli would like to play for Italy next summer when they attempt to reach EuroBasket 2009 via the Additional Qualifying Round but he can’t commit to the national team yet. The 22-year-old is in his second NBA season with the Golden State Warriors and his focus is on getting his career off the ground in America – something that has yet to happen. “It´s early days yet to confirm,” he said. “I would like to be there but I don´t know what my future will be in June.
I like seeing non-star NBA players in international competition. It lets us see a side of them we don’t normally see. I prefer that NBA stars sit out, because I want them to stay healthy and already know what they can do. I like seeing new stuff. If Belinelli plays for Italy, it makes me want to see them. So, hopefully he’s involved.
— InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner
Lakers defense lacking lately
The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliot Teaford) reports: There are multiple reasons why the Lakers’ defense hasn’t been as effective as it was to start the season. No matter which you choose, the bottom line is that the Lakers aren’t dominating teams because they aren’t playing the same caliber of defense. The Lakers started their three-game trip by giving up a season-high 118 points in a one-point loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. They continued by giving up 102 during a 12-point victory Wednesday over the Philadelphia 76ers. They played the first seven games of the season without giving up 100 points in a game. But they have surrendered 100 or more points in four of their past six games and are giving up an average of 95.9 points going into tonight’s against the Washington Wizards. “We’ve talked about the kind of intensity we want to play with defensively,” Bryant said. “We have a tendency to turn it up in spurts as of late as opposed to coming out and doing it from the top, and that’s something we’ve needed to address.”
New Raptors coach debut tonight
The Globe and Mail (Michael Grange) report: One of the most accomplished players in Canadian basketball history, Jay Triano, 50, will make his debut as the Toronto Raptors’ bench boss tonight in Salt Lake against the Utah Jazz, becoming the first Canadian-born head coach in the NBA. Those in the NBA and elsewhere in the basketball community are optimistic about his chance to succeed. “I think he’ll be fantastic,” NBA star and fellow Canadian Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns said. “He absolutely loves the game of basketball. He’s passionate, a workaholic, and the kind of coach guys love to be around. He’s got all the ingredients to be an NBA coach.” “He’s got extreme confidence, extreme knowledge of the game,” said Tony Ronzone, the Detroit Pistons’ director of basketball operations. “He can adjust to different styles of play. I’d think he’s going to be terrific.”
Sean May gets first double-double
The Charlotte Observer (Rick Bonnell) reports: Charlotte Bobcats forward Sean May assembled a double-double, his first in 21 injury-filled months. That was the foremost of many surprises in a 103-97 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday night. May’s conditioning was such a disappointment that after starting the opener he was shelved for several games. He’s worked his way back into the lineup, and finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. May’s contribution wasn’t the biggest factor, but it was surely the most unexpected. “When I came out, Mike asked if I needed an oxygen mask,” May said of Jordan’s needling next to the team bench. “I said, ‘No, just give me a minute.’”