The AP reports: Jason Richardson scored 25 points in another strong performance after being sidelined with knee trouble, leading the suddenly efficient Bobcats to a 100-90 win over the error-prone Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night… Emeka Okafor, often invisible in the paint this season, added a season-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The notoriously poor free-throw shooter made all six from the line and added 10 rebounds. Raymond Felton had a season-high 14 assists, and didn’t commit his only turnover until just more than 2 minutes remained… Randy Foye scored 23 points and Mike Miller added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which was never in sync in its second straight loss. Top scorer Al Jefferson was held to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting and Minnesota committed 14 of its 18 turnovers in the first half.
Category: Games
Basketball games blog
Nov 30: Lakers 112, Raptors 99
The AP reports: Pau Gasol had 24 points and nine rebounds, Kobe Bryant had 23 points and a season-high seven assists, and the Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-99 on Sunday night for their seventh straight victory… Bynum scored seven of his 18 points during the pivotal rally, including an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Sasha Vujacic, and another alley-oop play in which he guided in Jordan Farmar’s lob above the rim. Bynum shot 8-for-13 and grabbed 10 rebounds despite a bone spur in his right foot, which he’s had since landing on Vince Carter’s foot during last Tuesday’s game against New Jersey… Anthony Parker led Toronto with 19 points and five teammates also scored in double figures. Jermaine O’Neal missed his third straight because of a sprained left ankle. The Lakers held leading scorer Chris Bosh to 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
Nov 30: Nuggets 104, Rockets 94
The AP reports: Carmelo Anthony’s right elbow was so sore, he couldn’t shoot, pass or dribble. Heck, he couldn’t even lift his toddler son, Kiyan, after the game. Good thing the Denver Nuggets have Chauncey Billups on their side now. Making up for Anthony’s absence—along with ‘Melo’s usual double-digit performance—Billups had 28 points and 10 assists to lead the Nuggets past Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets, 104-94 on Sunday night… Anthony scored just two points, halting his NBA-best streak of consecutive games in double figures at 222. That honor now goes to LeBron James, who has scored in double figures 134 straight times… Yao led Houston’s balanced production with 18 points but he was just 5-for-12 from the floor as Martin, Nene and Chris Andersen played terrific defense on the big man… Nene had 17 points and 10 boards for the Nuggets, who took a 48-44 halftime lead thanks to two 3-pointers from J.R. Smith in the closing minutes of the first half. Smith, who has been in and out of coach George Karl’s dog house for lapses in play and professionalism, finished with 19 points.
Nov 30: Nets 117, Suns 109
The AP reports: Devin Harris was on the attack and the Phoenix Suns had no defense for him. Harris scored a career-high 47 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, and the New Jersey Nets ended their 14-game losing streak at Phoenix by rallying to beat the Suns 117-109 Sunday night… Harris, whose previous high was 38, hit 14 of 25 field goals and 17 of 17 free throws in a dazzling performance… Vince Carter added 28 points for New Jersey, Yi Jianlian had 14 and Brook Lopez 12. Steve Nash, who missed Friday’s game because of a thigh contusion, led the Suns with 26 points and nine assists. Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 12 rebounds before being ejected with his second technical foul—for arguing with an official—with 3:24 remaining and Phoenix leading 100-98. Matt Barnes had 18 points.
InsideHoops.com note: Harris also had 7 rebounds and 8 assists.
Nov 30: Bulls 103, Sixers 92
The AP reports: Derrick Rose seems unfazed by the rigorous NBA schedule. In the final stop on a seven-game, 12-day road trip which began Nov. 18 in Los Angeles against the Lakers, the 20-year-old No. 1 overall pick in the draft still had plenty of energy. Ben Gordon scored 21 points, Drew Gooden had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls rallied from an early deficit for a 103-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Rose contributed 18 points and 10 assists and reached double figures in assists for the first time this season. Reserve Larry Hughes had 16 points for the Bulls (8-9), who won for only the third time in 10 games on the road… Elton Brand had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Thaddeus Young added 17 points for the reeling Sixers, who have lost four straight to fall to 7-10. Andre Miller had 15 points and 10 assists, and Willie Green chipped in with 12 points.
Nov 30: Blazers 96, Pistons 85
The AP reports: While the Pistons are 10-2 during the rest of the week, they have been outscored by an average of 17 points while losing all four Sunday games. Portland’s young starting lineup dominated Detroit’s first five, outscoring them 74-52… LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 27 points, while Brandon Roy added 19 and Greg Oden finished with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the Blazers’ fourth straight win… Richard Hamilton had 18 for Detroit, but Allen Iverson finished with only nine on 2-of-9 shooting. The Pistons fell to just 6-6 since Iverson joined the team… Tayshaun Prince, who had played at least 30 minutes in every game this season, saw just 22 minutes of action Sunday.
Al Harrington rocks Warriors
Players often claim they have no grudge against their former teams, but Al Harrington, now with the Knicks, was pretty vocal while with the Warriors stating that things weren’t working out with him and coach Don Nelson in Golden State.
On Saturday, when the Knicks hosted the Warriors, Harrington went off for a huge game. Here’s the Contra Costa Times (Marcus Tompson II) reporting:
Warriors forward Al Harrington said he had this date marked the moment he got traded to the New York Knicks. His controversial clashing with coach Don Nelson led to his eventual departure from the Warriors, who traded him for guard Jamal Crawford on Nov. 21. But he couldn’t completely move on with the reunion date looming so close. Saturday, it happened, and Harrington showed up. “I dreamed up 60, 30 rebounds, 15 assists,” Harrington said with a smile. He wasn’t that far off. Harrington had 36 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes as his Knicks took down his former Warriors 138-125 at Madison Square Garden. Harrington played like the versatile weapon he always claimed to be. He knocked down 5-of-7 from 3-point range, grabbed four offensive rebounds and had a handful of dunks. He was playing up to the crowd and chest-bumping with his teammates.
It should be noted, however, that I (InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner) put up 23 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists against the Warriors that same game. And I’m not even on the Knicks. That’s how bad the Warriors defense was. Still, good game by Harrington, who could start to fit very nicely in the Mike D’Antoni small-ball scheme of things in New York.
Nov 29: Clippers 97, Heat 96
The AP reports: Zach Randolph needed only two games to make an impact with the Los Angeles Clippers. The former New York Knicks forward had 27 points and 13 rebounds, and helped fuel a pivotal fourth-quarter run with eight consecutive points, leading the Clippers to a 97-96 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday night. Al Thornton also had 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Los Angeles snap a four-game losing streak… Baron Davis, playing despite a stomach virus, had 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds… Dwyane Wade had 26 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for Miami, but the NBA scoring leader missed a desperation a 3-pointer as time expired.
Nov 29: Mavs 101, Kings 78
The AP reports: Sixth-man Jason Terry scored 24 points and the Mavericks pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 101-78 on Saturday night. One night after ending a five-game losing streak against the Lakers, the Mavericks won again on the road. Josh Howard missed his fifth straight game because of a sprained ankle, and Jerry Stackhouse was back in Dallas nursing an injured heel that has kept him inactive the last eight games… Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points and eight rebounds to help the Mavericks even their record at 8-8 with their sixth road win of the season. Reserve Devean George scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Beno Udrih had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and John Salmons had 10 points for Sacramento. The Kings have lost six straight and nine of 10. The Kings also have dropped six in a row at home for the first time since 1998, two shy of the franchise record.
Nov 29: Nets 105, Jazz 88
The AP reports: Devin Harris had 34 points and six assists and the Nets beat the Jazz 105-88 on Saturday night, giving New Jersey its fourth win in five games… Vince Carter added 22 points, Yi Jianlian added 11 points and Bobby Simmons scored 10 for New Jersey, which wraps up the road trip Sunday night at Phoenix. The Nets outrebounded the Jazz, outscored them inside and prevented Utah’s fast break from getting going… Utah was without All-Star forward Carlos Boozer (thigh) for the sixth straight game and lost Andrei Kirilenko to an ankle injury in the second quarter… Paul Millsap led the Jazz with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Williams had 10 points and 13 assists and Mehmet Okur had 10 points and 11 rebounds as three Utah starters had double-doubles, but the bench contributed just 22 points and 11 rebounds.