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The Timberwolves bench continued its production in New Orleans on Monday night. The bench exploded for a season-best 54 points compared to 25 points for the Hornets. Three Wolves reserves scored in double figures – Sebastian Telfair (20 points), Antoine Walker (17 points) and Craig Smith (10 points).
Wolves’ reserves have now outscored their opponents in 10 of the team’s 12 games. Antoine Walker’s 24 points vs. Denver on Friday night is the single-game high this season.
McGrady to the Rescue: Tracy McGrady registered 36 points (13-26 FG, 8-8 FT), eight rebounds and six assists at the L.A. Clippers (11/26/07), marking his sixth 30-point outing of the season. McGrady, who also had 35 points (13-23 FG) in the previous game vs. Denver (11/24/07), led the Rockets with 19 fourth-quarter points and 28 second-half points against the Clippers. The respective totals marked Houston’s best quarter and half performances of the season.
Playing Defense: Houston limited the Clippers to opponent season lows in points (71), field goals made (25) and field goal percentage (.329, 25-76 FG) at Los Angeles (11/26/07). The 71 points by the Clippers were the fewest ever scored in a game against the Rockets in the all-time series between these two teams. The previous low was 77 points (done three times, last on 11/4/00).
Double-Digit Victories: Houston’s 88-71 (+17) win at the L.A. Clippers (11/26/07) ended a three-game slide on the road and gave the Rockets their first consecutive set of victories by a double-digit margin this season. Houston also posted a 109-81 (+28) win vs. Denver (11/24/07).
Washington looks to snap a seven-game losing streak at San Antonio tonight. The last time Washington won in San Antonio was Dec. 11, 1999 — during the 1999-00 NBA season. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan is the lone holdover on either team’s roster from that game; a 99-89 Wizards’ win.
After averaging a combined 63.0 points per game in Washington’s last four games, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are now averaging a combined 45.9 points per game this season. Butler and Jamison currently rank as the NBA’s sixth highest scoring duo…behind Anthony-Iverson (DEN), McGrady-Ming (HOU), Davis-Jackson (GSW), James-Gooden (CLE) and James-Ilgauskas (CLE).
Antawn Jamison has averaged 29.0 points per game in Washington’s last six games, after averaging 17.8 points per game in the Wizards’ first eight. Jamison is not the only Wizard to have picked up his scoring in the last six games in the absence of Gilbert Arenas.
After connecting on a career-high five three-pointers in Washington’s last game, Caron Butler has now hit 14 three-pointers through 14 games this season. Last season, Butler connected on 18 three-pointers in 63 games. He hit a career-high 41 three-point field goals in 75 games in 2005-06.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric may be one of the luckiest men alive. Word is, he’s dating Victoria’s Secrets Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: Wolves point guard Marko Jaric recently began dating Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima. She is one of the highest paid models in the world, most famous for her work with Victoria’s Secret. Years ago, she was engaged to rock star Lenny Kravitz, but the relationship didn’t survive. She was once even falsely linked to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Lima is supportive of Jaric. She flew to Denver on Thanksgiving and attended the Wolves’ game there the next day… Teammate Antoine Walker didn’t know Jaric is dating a supermodel but quipped: “He’s overachieving.”
With the Heat looking like they have no idea how to play basketball, could Dwyane Wade eventually switch from shooting guard to the point?
Apparently not.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Even as Jason Williams struggles at point guard, Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade said Monday they could not envision Wade making a fulltime shift to the position. “Absolutely not,” Wade said. “I’m not trying to go back there. My team is better when I’m able to play more than one position. “If I’m stuck to just playing the point guard, then it takes something away from my game. Then it feels like I’ve got to make all the plays. I don’t want to get back to that point-guard mentality, where I feel I’ve got to set everybody up every time down.”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: Center Brendan Haywood is having a career year and is averaging career highs in points (9.5), rebounds (8.9) and blocks (1.8). In year’s past, Haywood’s biggest competition at center was Etan Thomas. Thomas recently had open-heart surgery and his career might be over. This has opened up more minutes for Haywood and he has responded accordingly. Behind Jamison and Butler, Thomas is the best player you’ll likely see on the floor tomorrow. Third-year power forward Andray Blatche has also been stepping up his game lately and is scoring and rebounding well. Point guard Antonio Daniels has also been filling in well with Arenas out and has averaged 11.6 points and 7.8 assists since Arenas played his last game.
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InsideHoops.com is at the Knicks-Jazz game in New York, and fans in Madison Square Garden continue to boo both Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury in pre-game introductions. Today, Isiah received loud boos, while Marbury’s weren’t quite as pronounced.
However, today, as is the case in previous games, when Marbury makes a nice play, fans support him.
The Sacramento Bee reports: “What Beno calls style, Brad calls something else. Kings center Brad Miller has been giving Udrih a hard time about his fashion, and his ridiculing became public on Sunday. “He’s a typical, goofy European with tight pants, tight clothes – pretty standard,” Miller said with a laugh. A metrosexual, one might say? “Definitely a metrosexual,” Miller said. “He has the nice accent. He’s telling us, ‘This team was loaded with lots of Europeans before (in the days of Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu etc.), so everybody knows what’s going on.”
The New York Post reports: “The Knicks are 116-185 since Thomas arrived, 36-58 since he became the head coach, 7-24 since he received a contract extension. The are also 1-6 since the last time they held a team (Miami) under 80 points, a stretch that curiously caused a coach-GM who hasn’t drafted and traded much for defensive players to start threatening to bench them because of a lack of defense.”
The Canadian Press reports: Toronto Raptors forward Jorge Garbajosa is scheduled to undergo medical testing Monday amid reports his NBA season is over. Spanish media reported Saturday that Garbajosa will miss the remainder of the season after electing to have ankle surgery. But general manager Bryan Colangelo disputed the report when reached at the Raptors’ game at Cleveland. “We have arranged for Jorge to consult with a specialist in Baltimore on Monday,” Colangelo said in an email. “Future treatment and therapy options remain undetermined at this point.”
The Toronto Raptors released the following statement Saturday in response to media reports out of Spain regarding the medical condition of forward Jorge Garbajosa: “We have arranged for Jorge to consult with a specialist in Baltimore on Monday. Future treatment and therapy options remain undetermined at this point.”
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