The AP reports: LeBron James scored 27 points—18 in the second half— and made one of the defining defensive plays of his career by pinning Yao Ming’s shot against the backboard in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers remained the NBA’s only undefeated team at home with a down-and-dirty 99-90 win Tuesday night. Mo Williams scored 23 and Daniel Gibson made two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers, who improved to 23-2 in their last 25 games and 14-0 at home… Rafer Alston scored 20 points in his first game back after missing four with a strained hamstring and Yao, who spent most of the night in foul trouble, had 19—he was 13-of-13 on free throws—for the Rockets, who had their four-game winning streak stopped. Tracy McGrady scored just four points for Houston, which was playing its fourth game in five nights.
Dec 23: Hawks 99, Thunder 88
The AP reports: If only Joe Johnson had hit a few more jump shots. Maybe a higher percentage from the field would’ve left him satisfied after his second career triple-double. Johnson had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double in nearly three full seasons, and Marvin Williams scored 21 points in the Atlanta Hawks’ 99-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night… Kevin Durant scored 28 points for the Thunder, who have lost 10 of 11. Oklahoma City fell to 1-13 on the road and 3-26 overall despite a combined 26 rebounds by Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox… Jeff Green tied a career high with 14 rebounds and finished with 18 points. Wilcox, in 24 minutes, had 19 points and a season-high 12 boards.
Dec 22: Raptors 97, Clippers 75
The AP reports: Chris Bosh scored 18 of his 31 points in the final period and the Raptors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 97-75 victory on Monday night… Randolph had 19 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles during a foul-plagued 28 minutes, and left the game with 10:44 to play after bruising his left knee in a collision with Jake Voskuhl on a layup by Bosh 16 seconds earlier… Rookie Eric Gordon also scored 19 points for the Clippers, coming off a 119-85 drubbing at Milwaukee that ended their 2-2 road trip. Baron Davis had 16 points and nine rebounds. Al Thornton, the only Clippers player who saw action in this game—and in the previous meeting with Toronto on Feb. 8 of last season — missed nine of 10 shots and equaled a season low with five points in 34 minutes. Jermaine O’Neal added 23 points and nine rebounds for Toronto. The Raptors are 3-8 since Triano replaced Sam Mitchell as head coach on Dec. 3.
Dec 22: Nuggets 97, Blazers 89
The AP reports: The Denver Nuggets didn’t need Carmelo Anthony’s offense to beat Portland. Their defense wouldn’t let Brandon Roy have another career night. Nene scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds, Chauncey Billups added 19 points and 10 assists, and the Nuggets’ defense shut down Roy to beat the Trail Blazers 97-89 on Monday night. Roy scored a career-high 52 points against Phoenix on Thursday, but Denver’s defense held the Portland guard to just eight points… With Roy struggling, LaMarcus Aldridge pitched in with 20 points and Travis Outlaw had 15. Greg Oden, who also was in foul trouble most of the game, fouled out with 10 points… “That’s the way it has to be,” said Kenyon Martin, who led the Nuggets with 12 rebounds. “There are some guys who have to step up and play well, which they did tonight.”
Dec 22: Spurs 101, Kings 85
The AP reports: Tony Parker committed five turnovers in the first 10 minutes but overcame the rough start by scoring 18 points to lead the Spurs to a 101-85 victory over the reeling Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Facing a Kings team that now has lost four in a row and is 3-17 since opening the season 4-5, Popovich did little talking to his players during timeouts… Parker was 8-of-17 from the floor and added six assists in 28 minutes as San Antonio (17-10) won for the eighth time in 10 games. The Spurs shot 52 percent and led from the 5:38 mark of the first quarter. They were 7-of-15 from the 3-point line… John Salmons scored 22 points to lead Sacramento. Beno Udrih, a former Spurs player and backup to Parker, added 13. Francisco Garcia added 10, but he struggled through a 3-of-13 shooting night.
Dec 22: Lakers 105, Grizzlies 96
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant rescued the Los Angeles Lakers from a third straight loss. Bryant scored 36 points and keyed a late rally to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a two-game losing streak with a 105-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Lakers trailed by 93-88 with 3:08 left, but closed the game on a 17-3 run, including 10 points from Bryant to overtake the Grizzlies down the stretch. His breakaway dunk as the horn sounded put an exclamation point on the Lakers’ win… Pau Gasol had 15 points, seven rebounds and had six assists in his return to Memphis. Gasol played six-plus seasons with the Grizzlies before being traded to Los Angeles in February. Part of the trade included his brother, Marc, going to the Grizzlies… Rudy Gay led Memphis with 23 points, while O.J. Mayo scored 22 and had six assists.
Dec 22: Rockets 114, Nets 91
The AP reports: While Yao Ming won the showdown with fellow Chinese Olympian Yi Jianlian, the Houston Rockets beat the New Jersey Nets with defense and a boost from the smallest player on the court. Yao had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Aaron Brooks tied his career high with 22 points as the Rockets won their season-high fourth straight game with a 114-91 victory over the Nets on Monday night in a game televised live to China… The Rockets totally shut down the Nets’ 1-2 punch of Devin Harris and Vince Carter, limiting them to 10 points apiece on 7 of 24 shooting with no 3-pointers. They had a combined scoring average of 47.3 points entering the game, the highest scoring backcourt in the league… Keyon Dooling had 17 points to lead New Jersey, which trailed by 27 points in the second half.
Dec 22: Magic 113, Warriors 81
The AP reports: Jameer Nelson has elevated his play during the Orlando Magic’s five-game winning streak. Nelson scored 22 points and had seven assists to help the Orlando Magic rout the Golden State Warriors 113-81 on Monday night. Nelson, named NBA Player of the Week for the first time in his career earlier on Monday, was 9-for-9 from the field—including hitting four 3-pointers… Rashard Lewis scored 21 points and Dwight Howard added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who held Golden State to just 31.9 percent shooting for the game… Jamal Crawford led the Warriors with 18 points, but was 7-for-21 from the field. Anthony Morrow had 13 points and Marco Belinelli 12 for the Warriors, who lost for the sixth time in the last seven games.
Thunder sign Nenad Krstic to offer sheet
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed center Nenad Krstic to an offer sheet.
Under terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement the New Jersey Nets, who retained Krstic’s rights when he signed with Triumph Lyubertsy of Russia’s Superleague A, now have seven days to match the multi-year offer. Per team policy the terms of the offer sheet were not disclosed.
An InsideHoops.com source associated with the Nets says that the team is leaning towards not matching the offer.
Krstic (7-0, 213), the 24th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Nets, is averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1 block in 21 minutes per game for Triumph in Superleague play. The Serbian national holds NBA averages of 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in four seasons with New Jersey.
Coach: Refs frustrate D.Howard
Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy is sticking up for Dwight Howard in regard to the officiating. The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports: “I think (Howard) is very frustrated they way the game is being called right now,” Van Gundy said. “It’s different in this league. The real good perimeter players seemed to really get the benefit of every call, any touch. The real good big guys, it seems it’s just the opposite.
“That they let people do more in there. I think it’s part of the an ongoing thing — they won’t say that — but I think the league is trying to do everything it can to make it a perimeter league and not a post-up league.”