The AP reports: “It was a weird game, but we’ve got to learn how to close things out,” said Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who had 23 points, 22 rebounds, six blocks and four assists… Orlando took a big lead early, fell behind, then came back in the fourth quarter. Baron Davis, who finished with 27 points, hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 75-66 lead, their biggest margin of the game… Rashard Lewis added 18 points for Orlando and Jameer Nelson had 15. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Marcus Camby had 17 rebounds.
Category: NBA Teams
NBA teams blog
Dec 8: Grizzlies 109, Rockets 97
The AP reports: O.J. Mayo and the Memphis Grizzlies used a quick start to put away the injury-depleted Houston Rockets. Rudy Gay scored 20 points, Mayo and Hakim Warrick had 18 points apiece, and The Grizzlies scored the first 10 points Monday night in a 109-97 win over the Rockets, who were without two of their top three scorers as Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest sat out with injuries… Kyle Lowry had 11 points and five assists, while Mike Conley and Marc Gasol each had 10 points. Gasol and Warrick had eight rebounds apiece for Memphis. Luis Scola had 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Rafer Alston had 16 points and eight assists for the Rockets. Von Wafer added 15 points, and Yao Ming and Aaron Brooks finished with 14 apiece. Carl Landry had 12 points.
Dec 8: Warriors 112, Thunder 102
The AP reports: Playing without two of their top scorers, Andris Biedrins had 17 points and 21 rebounds as the Warriors ended a nine-game skid with a 112-102 victory over the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night… Kevin Durant scored a season-high 41 and almost brought the Thunder all the way back from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit, but Oklahoma City ended up losing its fourth straight and dropping to 2-20. Stephen Jackson (20.1 points per game) and Corey Maggette (19.1) sat out with injuries but it didn’t slow the Warriors. Jamal Crawford scored 19 points, and Brandan Wright and Anthony Morrow each had 15 as Golden State (6-15) shot 50.6 percent from the field.
Dec 8: Heat 100, Bobcats 96
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade scored 41 points, 10 in the final 8 1/2 minutes to lead the Heat back from a seven-point deficit for their fourth straight win—extending Miami’s longest streak since the 2006-07 season… Wade scored 41 points, 10 in the final 8 1/2 minutes to lead the Heat back from a seven-point deficit for their fourth straight win—extending Miami’s longest streak since the 2006-07 season… Mario Chalmers scored 15 points and Marion finished with 13 for Miami. Jason Richardson scored 24 for Charlotte, but missed two free throws that would have tied the game with 32.3 seconds remaining. Okafor added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bobcats, who were without their second-leading-scorer Gerald Wallace, who was in Alabama to mourn the death of his grandmother.
Paul Millsap has game
With a record of 13 wins and 9 losses, the Utah Jazz are playing fairly decently considering they’ve suffered constant injuries all season. Carlos Boozer has played 12 games; Deron Williams just 9.
While D-Will is currently active, Boozer remains out. But there’s been a bright spot in the frontcourt. The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports:
Paul Millsap has started Utah’s last nine games in Carlos Boozer’s place and has had scoring-rebounding double-doubles in each of his past eight. During those 10 games Boozer has been absent, in fact, Millsap has averaged 16.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. That’s exactly double the points and nearly the double the boards he averaged last season, his second after being taken from Louisiana Tech in the 2006 NBA Draft’s second round. At eight, it’s also double the number of double-doubles Millsap had all of last season.
Millsap has proven that at the very least he can be a prime backup on a winning team. He should have a successful NBA career for years to come.
Amare Stoudemire has a 32-inch waistline
The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: Some argue that Amare Stoudemire, who has a 32-inch waistline, can’t get as solid of a base as the NBA’s top rebounders. Porter said Stoudemire’s build reminds him of his former San Antonio teammate, David Robinson, who weighed the same as Stoudemire but is 7-1. “You really have to be down and engaged in those situations to maintain your balance,” Porter said. “He’s got to be low and have a thrust.” Stoudemire prefers to maintain broad shoulders and a narrow waist. “I don’t want to be big and bulky,” he said. “My advantage is quickness when it comes to rebounding. A lot of guys I cover are a lot bigger in the post. I can’t push them off the post, so my best thing to do is use my quick feet to get around them or don’t let them get the ball. Quickness helps on offense. Guys can’t guard me.”
Bucks rookie better at home
Milwaukee Bucks rookie forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has turned out to be a better basketball player than most observers expected. Playing 27.4 minutes per game, he’s putting up 8.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.09 steals, and contributing in ways that don’t show up on the stat sheet.
Sure, the Bucks haven’t played very good basketball this season, but at least Mbah a Moute’s turned out to be a decent contributor.
At home, at least.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Tom Enlund) reports:
The most glaring contrast in Mbah a Moute’s home and road statistics is his field-goal percentage. He is shooting 49.2% at home and 40.0% on the road. He is scoring 8.8 points per game at home and 8.5 points on the road. He is rebounding better on the road, 7.2 per game compared with 5.9 at home. On a recent four-game trip to Charlotte, Orlando, Atlanta and Detroit, Mbah a Moute averaged 6.5 points on 37.5% shooting and 6.2 rebounds. On a trip to Denver and Utah, he averaged 9.5 points on 40.0% shooting and 5.5 rebounds. “I’ve been struggling a little bit on the road,” he said. “The teams we’ve been playing the last couple weeks have been really good teams. All those teams are good teams and you go against those teams it’s always going to be hard.”
Charlie Villanueva is still the better player, though the team wants him to keep improving his basketball IQ and remember to hustle every second he’s on the floor, at both ends of the court.
Suns improving
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports: In the last two games, Steve Nash has gone back to holding the ball longer, breaking down the defense and finding more space to operate. The Suns had more fast-break points (18) than turnovers (17), put up 21 3-pointers and went to the line 40 times as Amaré Stoudemire (22 points, 20 rebounds) and O’Neal (15 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double and the team collected a season-high 54 rebounds vs. the Jazz. “Our flow and rhythm is improving and there are some positive signs offensively,” Nash said. “I think we’ve gotten to a better place spacing and tempo-wise, where I can penetrate, be a nuisance, get in the paint and make plays. “Those are obviously strengths of mine, so the more I get to do that the better I’m going to feel, and I think it’s better for the team.”
Rodney Stuckey now a starter
The Detroit Pistons have been pretty unimpressive recently, and head coach Michael Curry is making a change. The Detroit News (Ted Kulfan) reports:
Rodney Stuckey is moving into the Pistons’ starting lineup. After strongly hinting of a change after Sunday’s loss in New York, coach Michael Curry announced the move Monday after practice at the Verizon Center. Stuckey and Allen Iverson will start in the backcourt, with Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince at forward and Rasheed Wallace at center tonight when the Pistons take on the Wizards.
Coming off the bench, young Stuckey hasn’t quite burst into stardom as many hoped he would. That’s not a knock on him, though. We’re only a month and one week into the new season. He’s good, contributing 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, but has shot just 41.1% and an awful 22.2% from three-point range.
Stuckey’s future is bright. I’m not sure he’s ready to explode just yet, even with a bigger role. But he has the ability to. You can’t say that for most young point guards.
Derrick Rose OK after rolling on knife
Chicago Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose is having a great rookie season and appears good at everything, including injuring himself while lying around at home eating fruit. The Chicago Tribune (K.C. Johnson) reports:
Rose missed Monday’s practice after he needed 10 stitches to close a gash suffered when he said he rolled onto a knife while eating an apple in bed. “It was a silly incident,” Rose said. “I was cutting up some food and I laid on a knife getting lazy in bed. I went to go get a bottle of water, came back, forgot the knife was there, then sat down and sliced my arm. “I panicked when it first happened and called my trainer. It was painful but I should be alright.”
Rose told the Tribune he’ll have stitches in his arm for 10-14 days.
Along with OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies, Rose is one of two early-season InsideHoops.com favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award.