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Final, Heat 115-107: the Celtics played like the inexperienced team in the final two minutes, while a rookie guard out of Cleveland State played like a guy who's been there a million times before.
Norris Cole scored 20 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — to enable the Heat to hold off a late Celtics charge in a 115-107 Boston loss.
The defeat marks the Celtics' second loss in two games this season, both coming after wiping out double-digit second-half deficits. Keyon Dooling was a major player in Boston's comeback, scoring seven straight Celtics points in one stretch and shooting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Dooling finished with 18 points.
Ray Allen led the Celtics with 28 points, helped by his 6-for-8 mark from long range. Rajon Rondo had another strong game with 22 points and 12 assists.
For 36 minutes, the Celtics simply had no answer for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who combined for 50 points, 13 assists, four steals and five blocks (with five of those coming from Wade).
For the final 12 minutes, the Celtics had no answer for Cole.
Fourth quarter, :59.6, Heat 112-107: It's Norris Cole's world. Bass buried a jumper to briefly pull the Celtics back within three, but Cole answered, of course, with a jumper to make the Heat's lead two possessions again.
Fourth quarter, 1:31, Heat 110-105: Dumb, dumb, dumb pass by Rondo. the Celtics made a defensive stop and had a chance to tie, but Rondo threw a terrible full-court pass that was easily intercepted by Wade.
The ball went to James, who found the Heat's hero: Cole. Predictably, he put home the jumper for his 16th point and Rivers takes his last full timeout.
Fourth quarter, 2:02, Heat 108-105: Keyon Dooling refuses to let the Celtics lose.
Dooling, who now has 18 points, has scored seven straight Boston points to make it a one-possession game. His 3 from the corner snapped the net and elicited a timeout from Miami's bench.
A creative call created a positive situation for the Celtics. Dooling drove the lane, ran over Haslem and passed to Garnett for a dunk, but James was called for a foul, supposedly for pushing Dooling from behind.
Dooling hit both free throws, so that helped, and then drew a foul on a loose ball and hit two more.
Fourth quarter, 3:01, Heat 108-98: Huge call of a player control foul on Bass gives the ball back to the Heat. Norris Cole, the rookie guard who drew that offensive foul — although on the replays it looks like Cole was moving when he collided with bass — delivers what could be the dagger on the other end by drilling a jump shot.
As I predicted, this game would come down to a big shot by Norris Cole. go ahead and scroll down. It's there somewhere. You just have to look hard. Real hard.
Fourth quarter, 3:24, Heat 106-98: For a moment there, things got mighty interesting.
A baby hook by Garnett and a floater of the glass by Rondo pulled Boston within seven, but Bass double-clutched on a jump shot and James came back with a layup to push the Heat's lead back to nine.
Bass grabbed an offensive rebound on an Allen miss, but only converted one of the two foul shots.
Fourth quarter, 6:00, Heat 102-93: Wade is an outstanding shot-blocker, but when you look at the boxscore on Wednesday, don't think the Celtics didn't have a lot to do with his blocks total. the Celtics have been late in delivering passes into the post, particularly from their bigs in the high post, and that has helped Wade recover in time to swat the shots.
That was the case on Dooling's layup, which was piked off the glass by Wade.
Allen nestled home another 3 — his sixth of the game in eight attempts — and Bass finally has worked his way into the flow of the offense with 10 points, but it may be too late.
Fourth quarter, 9:38, 98-85: As soon as the Celtics seem to get James and Wade under control, Norris Cole and Shane Battier step up.
Cole knocked down a pair of jump shots and Battier funneled in a corner 3, putting the Heat back up by a healthy margin.
Dooling finally missed a 3-point attempt, and now the deficit doesn't look so manageable anymore.
End third, Heat 91-83: on the scoreboard, the Celtics appear to still be in this game, but it looked like the Heat were coasting through the final minutes of the third quarter.
Bass went up aggressively for a dunk on a no-look pass from Dooling and drew a foul on James, with Udonis Haslem poking the ball away. Haslem and Bass started yapping a bit, and Dooling stepped in to continue the conversation with Haslem. Dooling has hit all three of his 3-point attempts, and he's helped spark the C's with Allen on the bench.
Bass dropped one of two free throws, and if the Celtics can string together a few defensive stops (and that's a big if), they may be able to make this interesting in the final quarter.
Third quarter, :27.7, Heat 90-82: Daniels committed foul no. 5 and had to be subbed out. He hasn't played a bad game, scoring nine points on 4-for-8 shooting with two steals, but those five fouls have prevented him from contributing anything of consequence.
Bass, who broke out with 20 points in the season opener, has been invisible. He has four points and was blocked badly by James on a dunk attempt, then short-armed a short fall-away in the post.
This is only an eight-point game, but it seems like double that. Plus, that late flight to new Orleans probably looks less and less inviting.
Third quarter, 4:23, Heat 89-74: Allen knocked down another 3, giving him five makes for the game, but the Heat just can't miss.
They are now shooting 70 percent from the field, hitting 32 of 46 attempts. as mentioned, the Celtics are shooting 11-of-15 (73 percent) from the foul line. Boston has not attempted a free throw since halftime.
It should be fun to watch this stat and see if the Heat's field goal percentage surpasses the Celtics' free throw percentage at any point in this game because, honestly, that's about all that remains fun in this game.
Third quarter, 7:02, Heat 81-65: Rivers was reluctant to call a timeout when the Heat were streaking early, but he wasn't shy about taking one after a reverse layup by Wade and a jump shot by James pushed the Heat's lead to 16 points.
This is getting away from the Celtics fast, and no matter how many 3's Allen might hit, a comeback won't happen if Boston can't keep the Heat from scoring at will.
Fun fact: the Heat are shooting almost as well from the field (68 percent) as the Celtics are shooting from the foul line (73 percent).
Third quarter, 7:30, Heat 77-65: Allen is still the Celtics' best offensive player in this game, but even he can't do much to slow down Wade.
Wade quickly scored another basket and dealt another assist, and although a 3 by Rondo pulled the Celtics back within a dozen, Wade's play has the Heat clearly in control of the game.
Halftime, Heat 69-54: Wade and James have been electrifying, Allen has had a hot hand, but the story of the first half is the free throw disparity.
The Heat have 24 free throw attempts to the Celtics' 15. Miami is 18-of-24 and Boston is 11-of-15, and those seven points are the difference between a manageable deficit and a blowout so far.
This isn't a complaint about the officiating. There really hasn't been a single questionable call. the Heat are simply faster and more aggressive close to the rim, as illustrated by their 66 percent shooting on field goals. They're getting quality shots and either scoring of forcing the Celtics to foul.
Now, the good, the bad and the so-so.
The Good: Ray Allen, who is 4-for-5 from downtown and 4-for-4 from the foul line. He leads the Celtics with 18 points in 18:26. … LeBron James, who is tied for the Heat lead with 15 points in 17:38. He's missed just two of his seven shots and is 5-of-6 from the line. … Chris Bosh gets a lot of criticism, but he is one of the most solid big men in the game. the Georgia Tech product has a valuable stat line of 10 points, six rebounds and a strong finish off a pick-and-roll with James. … Wade is unstoppable. He shares the team-high of 15 points with James, but also has three assists, three blocked shots and a steal.
The bad: Not to beat a dead horse, but Sasha Pavlovic keeps struggling. He's played 8:13 and scored three points, but he has three fouls and two turnovers, and put up an unsightly airball while being defended by Wade. … Marquis Daniels has four fouls in 12:35 and has three of his shots blocked.
The So-so: Rajon Rondo has 12 points, but they have come on 3-for-6 shooting and 6-of-10 from the foul line.
Second quarter, 1:00, Heat 66-51: James and Wade are too much.
Try to follow this: After a turnover by Dooling, James tries to throw an oop to Wade, who can't hit the layup. but James swoops in to put in the miss. Then, following a bad shot by Garnett, Wade draws the defense on the break and dishes to James for a flying layup.
Miami is quickly back up 15 and Boston does not look to have the speed to keep up with the Heat.
Second quarter, 2:25, Heat 59-49: this might all be futile, but Ray Allen's not letting up yet.
Ray-Ray knocked down a pair of 3's sandwiched around finding Dooling in the corner for another 3, and the Celtics got back within 10 points just like that. the Heat called timeout to mull it over, a contrast to how Rivers handled the Heat's previous runs, which was to force his players to play and figure it out.
Allen is now 4-for-5 on 3-point attempts.
Second quarter, 3:39, Heat 57-40: The Heat are showing why so many prognosticators predict they will run away with the title this season.
Just after Allen hit his second 3-pointer and looked to be heating up a bit, James Jones responds with a 3-ball, Daniels airballs and baby hook shot and Allen fumbles the ball out of bounds.
Another Jones trey stretches the Heat's lead to 17 and the C's are in trouble.
Second quarter, 5:53, Heat 51-36: When people talk about what sets Wade apart from most high-scoring combo guards, the facet that should come up is his shot-blocking. Wade has blocked three shots — including a two-handed dunk attempt by Allen — and bothered at least three others. the Heat big men might not be prototypical shot-blockers, but when they have a 6-foot-4 guy who can protect the rim, it covers up a lot of shortcomings.
Second quarter, 9:00, Heat 38-29: Twice Daniels got blocked by Wade, first on a jump shot and then on a backdoor layup. Somebody tell 'Quis to pump fake.
Every Celtic other than Rondo continues to look slow against opposing guards. Cole played the role of Toney Douglas/Iman Shumpert, zipping right past Allen for a layup. Wade then spun past Garnett to finger-roll a layup, but we can't hold that against him. it is D-Wade, after all.
Pavlovic catches the ball in the corner and travels. when it rains, it pours.
End first, Heat 30-27: The second unit of Bass, Daniels, Wilcox, Dooling and Bradley brings a lot of energy, but the continuity just isn't there when they're on the court.
On a series of possessions, they gave up a wide-open dunk by Juwan Howard on an assist from James, left Norris Cole open for a 3 and were beaten to the hoop twice — one was saved by Bass blocking a shot, another with bass committing a foul.
Still, they are able to amp it up enough against James and Miami's bench mob to keep the game close after one quarter.
First quarter, 3:05, Heat 26-22: Daniels and Rondo contributed a couple of nice defensive plays to snuff out Heat chances.
First Daniels came up with the ball in a scrum that was forced by trapping James on the baseline, then Rondo drew a charge on Chalmers to nullify a fastbreak dunk by James.
Daniels drops an elbow jumper to get the Celtics a smidgen closer.
First quarter, 4:20, Heat 26-20: Nobody in Boston is going to blame Marquis Daniels for his ill-timed foul on Carmelo Anthony in new York (I've yet to see a replay that doesn't look like it was all ball), but he is developing a tendency to commit some bad fouls at bad times.
Daniels checked in for Pavlovic and matched up with James, who draws two fouls on Daniels in a seven-second span.
OK, so it's hard to cover James, but Daniels can't help the Celtics if he's constantly in foul trouble.
Rondo the scorer is back in the building, attacking the basket on successive possessions and converting both layup attempts. He then takes a turnover all the way for a layup to cut the Heat's lead to a half-dozen. He drew a technical foul on the second basket, however, for complaining to the official for a foul.
First quarter, 6:49, Heat 18-11: Pavlovic is having a rough couple of games so far.
He swished a 3-pointer, so that was positive, but then attempted an ill-advised cross-court pass that James picked off with one hand and finished with an easy dunk. Then Pavlovic let James beat him down the floor and had to foul James to keep him from catching an outlet pass for another dunk.
The Celtics are having another tentative start, and for the second straight game it appears that trouble integrating the new players is partly to blame.
First quarter, 8:30, 9-6 Heat: The Celtics immediately showed a wrinkle they haven't used much lately by curling Allen off a screen in the post for a layup attempt. Allen was fouled on the shot and only got one free throw to go down, but that does break of the predictability of Allen constantly cutting off screens on the wing.
Speaking of predictable, the Heat continue to run one of the most monotonous offenses in the league. it seems like two-thirds of their plays are just pick-and-rolls involving James and Wade — but it doesn't matter if you know it's coming if you still can't stop it. They got an easy layup for Anthony on a screen-and-roll for their second basket.
8:03 p.m.: the benches will bear watching in this game. in their two-point loss to the Knicks on Sunday, the Celtics' bench outscored the Knicks' bench, 32-15. That was helped in large part by reserve forward Brandon Bass, who scored 20 points and tied Ray Allen as Boston's second-highest scorer in that game.
The benches barely came into play in the Heat's 105-94 victory over the Mavericks on Sunday, but thanks to Jason Terry's 23 points off the bench, the Mavs reserves outscored Miami's, 47-29.
All the Celtics need to do, then, is keep James and Wade from scoring 37 and 26 points, respectively. Simple.
7:33 p.m.: Those Sasha Pavlovic jerseys will be relevant for at least one more game.
The Montenegrin swingman is expected to start again for Paul Pierce, who is doubtful with a bone bruise in his right heel.
The probable starting lineup is unchanged from Sunday, when Pavlovic started and recorded no points and committed four personal fouls in 15 minutes of action.
Here are the probable starters:
CelticsJermaine O'NealKevin GarnettSasha PavlovicRay AllenRajon Rondo
HeatJoel AnthonyChris BoshLeBron JamesDwyane WadeMario Chalmers
8 a.m.: the Celtics post their second marquee matchup in as many games when they travel to Miami on Tuesday to face LeBron James and the Heat.
The Heat cruised to a 105-94 win Sunday over the Mavericks in an NBA Finals rematch, and after falling short of their championship aspirations last season, James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are again the favorites to win it all. the Celtics would like to think they still stand in Miami's way, but with Paul Pierce still unlikely to play with a sore right heel, it will be difficult for either team to judge just how they'll match up.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. from American Airlines Arena. Check back here for updates throughout the game.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are primed to challenge for the Western Conference title this season, three years after the core of one of the most promising teams in the league was assembled.
Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves are a few years behind them, but hope to follow the same path.
Durant scored 33 points to lead the Thunder to a 104-100 victory over the Timberwolves on Monday night.
Russell Westbrook added 28 points, six assists and six rebounds, and James Harden scored 16 points for the Thunder, who have started off a season loaded with expectations at 2-0.
“These are definitely games you got to be able to knuckle down, concentrate and get a win,” Westbrook said.
Westbrook and Durant took their lumps in 2008-09, when they won just 23 games. three years later, they’re the ones giving them.
“We have a lot of guys that can get a basket: Russell, of course, James is really stepping it up scoring the ball,” Durant said. “I think we feed off each other really well; it’s not like guys are being selfish playing one-on-one basketball.”
Love had 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Ricky Rubio had an impressive debut with six assists, six points, five rebounds and no turnovers for the Timberwolves, who hung with one of the best teams in the league all game long.
“That’s a team that’s a contender and we took them down to the last minute. … The best thing is we gave ourselves a chance and if we play like that the rest of the season and continue to get better we’re going to win a lot of games,” Love said.
The Wolves led 96-95 with 3 minutes to play when Westbrook drove the length of the floor, hit a layup and the free throw for a three-point play to put the Thunder ahead.
Oklahoma City never trailed the rest of the way, but this one was in doubt from start to finish.
Michael Beasley scored 24 points on 11 for 27 shooting, and no. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams scored 13 for the Wolves, who were 3 for 22 from 3-point range.
With new coach Rick Adelman on the bench and Rubio, Williams and JJ Barea added to the roster, there is a buzz surrounding the Timberwolves, who lost 132 games over the previous two seasons and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004, for the first time in ages.
The Wolves sold out their home opener for the first time since 2007, and there is a new hope coming from one of the league’s most hapless franchises. much of it centers around Rubio, the dazzling, 21-year-old point guard who arrived from Spain this offseason after being chosen fifth overall in 2009.
“I’ve been hearing about him for six years and I saw him for the first time 30 minutes (ago) and it was like he is real,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said before the game, with only a hint of sarcasm. “Like a folk hero.”
Rubio entered with just over 3 minutes to play in the first quarter, and he electrified Minnesota’s offense with his sensational passing. he zipped a pass through the lane that nearly took Thunder forward Nick Collison’s head off before finding Barea for a layup. that started a run of three straight assists that got the crowd on its feet and gave the Wolves a 32-26 lead in the second quarter.
“I feel comfortable on the court and I feel like I helped the team,” Rubio said. “We didn’t get it in the end, but we have a chance. if we go this way, we can do a lot of good things.”
Oklahoma City knows all about expectations.
After beating Orlando to open the season on Sunday night, the Thunder had a little trouble finding their shooting legs early. They missed 20 of their first 28 shots, and Durant started the game 2 for 8.
Westbrook was equally quiet early, but he finished the first half with a jaw-dropping flourish to help the Thunder take the lead. he scored on a layup, knocked down a jumper and then crossed Luke Ridnour over so severely at the end of the half that the veteran point guard fell to the ground on a drive that gave Oklahoma City a 52-46 lead at the break.
“We’re letting the game come to us,” Durant said. “If we continue to do that we’ll be fine.”
As discouraged as the Wolves were about the loss, they also took some solace in going toe-to-toe with one of the league’s best.
“We played the best team in the West and lost by four points,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot to look forward to.”
NOTES: The Thunder have beaten the Timberwolves 10 straight times. … Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 63 of 97 points in the win over the Magic on Sunday. … Thunder SG Daequan Cook hit two huge 3s early in the fourth. … Barea scored 14 points.
2011-12-27T00:03:29-05:00
Mark Sanchez doesn't have a Super Bowl ring or a Pro Bowl appearance to his credit, but when it comes to high-profile women, his resume is second to none.
There's now speculation that the third-year quarterback could be dating Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton, according to the new York Post.
Sanchez has reportedly been paying frequent late-night visits to Upton's apartment, getting spotted several times since November. he reportedly rolls up in a black chauffeur-driven Navigator, typically after games or before practices — sometimes as late as midnight.
The Jets QB reportedly was seen in the lobby of Upton's building carrying gifts for her after a charity event, and was seen arriving with bags a minute or two after Upton arrived on a separate occasion.
A source told the Post that the two never arrive at the apartment together, while another source maintains that the two are "just friends."
Sanchez has also been linked to Sopranos actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and actress Hayden Panettiere in the past.
The Cowboys had a tough loss this week in Arizona. It was a game that they were supposed to win. they fell to 4-2 and remain one game behind the Giants in the NFC East. to make matters worse, the injury bug bit it a big way. All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo will be forced to miss 4 weeks with a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. they also will lose rookie running back Felix Jones for 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury. It is also being reported now that Adam Pacman Jones is suspended again, for at least 4 games. since the Cowboys have a bye week coming up, both Romo and Jones should only miss 3 games each.
Although these are two huge injuries to this Cowboy offense, I still believe that they can be successful and win games. this will give Dallas some time to gain an identity as a team. everyone else on the roster will be forced to step up and play as one unit. If the Cowboys can get through this stretch of games without too much damage, it could be a turning point for them. Every championship team goes through a stretch of turmoil at some point. The great teams persevere and get stronger because of it.
Felix Jones’ injury is a major blow. he was a true playmaker for Dallas. he made things happen in the kick return game and was a great change of pace back. he is the perfect compliment to Marion Barber. Barber is the big runner who can grind out the yardage. Then they run Jones at you and he can make big plays with his speed.
Sorry T.O., but Tony Romo is the face of this team. he is an all Pro and great QB. this offense will definitely be missing a lot of firepower for the time being. Romo probably could play through this injury, but since it is on his throwing hand he would not have much zip on his throws. It is better to let it heal, so that he is healthy for the stretch run. they can not replace him and this will not be the same offense. but that doesn’t mean that Dallas can not still be successful and win games.
Brad Johnson is a Super Bowl winning quarterback. he brings a ton of experience to the table. It is not like they are throwing in a young quarterback with no game experience. he doesn’t have nearly the arm of Romo, but he can manage a game. Brad checkdown Johnson and the Cowboys will lean on Barber. they will force feed him the ball and establish the run game. Johnson will rely on Jason Witten also, since he is the best tight end in the game. I think that T.O. will continue to be solid. he won’t be as explosive but may actually get more catches and be somewhat of a possession receiver.
In the 3 games that Romo and F Jones will miss; the Cowboys play at St. Louis, home vs Tampa Bay and at New York Giants. I think that Johnson will manage the game and win handily against both the Rams and Bucs. That should give them enough confidence to be able to go into New York and compete. a win in that game with Johnson is not out of the question. Dallas will then be at least 6-3, but I am betting on 7-2. they then have a bye week and Romo will be back. By that time, I feel that Dallas will have come together and gelled as a team. both Romo and Jones will be back fully healed. and Roy Williams would have had 4 weeks to learn the offense. Dallas will be poised for the strech run. Romo will have so many weapons that this offense will be sick If teams continue to double T.O., the Cowboys will burn them with Witten and Roy Williams. Crayton will also move to the slot, where he is best suited.
I think that this may be a blessing in disguise and expect very big things later this season as a result.
Now I can go on and on about how dumb the BCS system is and how they screwed it up again this season. (Sorry Virginia Tech and Michigan we all know you deserve a BCS Game, and Alabama don’t even get me started on you.) however, this is what we have for a couple more years so lets deal with it. Let’s take a look at the best games we have this Bowl Season.
The Rose Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Oregon
The Grandaddy of them all is going to be a doozy this year. this year when you talk about the Badgers you start to talk about Russell Wilson and his amazing year. All of that talk is highly deserved, he had 31 TD’s and only throwing 3 INT’s which has to be the lowest in college football. the thing about this Badgers team that no one talks about is how stingy they are on defense, only 5 teams give up less points per game. this defensive line has controlled the line of scrimmage all season. so it is going to be a great matchup against this athletic Oregon Ducks offensive line. however, Wisconsin’s defense is not the only defense that will need a big game. we all know the Ducks score a ton of points, so its safe to assume that they will be able to put up some points against the Badgers. the factor in this game is this Ducks defense must get the Badgers offense off the field quickly, if they don’t this could be trouble. Wisconsin loves to play ball control, run the ball, set up play action or quick 3 step drop passes. this style of play eats up clock and keeps that Oregon offense off the field. If the Ducks cannot get stops early, its going to be a real tough night.
I think Oregon pulls it out though, they have too much speed to keep up with for four quarters.
The Fiesta Bowl – Stanford vs. Oklahoma State
If your into offense look no further, this game might have over 90 total points. when you have Andrew Luck, Brandon Weeden, and Justin Blackmon all on the same field, sparks are gonna fly. Oklahoma State loves to let Brandon Weeden throw the ball all game in their spread look, but do not over look Joseph Randle and his ability to run the ball. he has over 1100 yards with 23 TD’s while also posting a 6 ypc average. this is why the Poke’s have been so hard to stop this season. Stanford’s defense has been good but not great this season so this will be a huge test. Stanford has had some key injuries to their WR position this year, this could be the reason why Andrew Luck did not have the season people were expecting. Luckily they have great backs in Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney that run the ball very well. they can physically beat a team down with that rushing attack. That combined with Andrew Luck rarely making mistakes is a very deadly combination. plus they will need to run the ball well to keep Oklahoma State off the field.
I got Oklahoma State in this one, I do not see Stanford’s defense being able to keep up with this Okie State offense.
Free-agent forward David West will be an Indiana Pacer for at least the next two-years after signing a $20 million deal with the team on Sunday.
The New Orleans Hornets had hoped to send West to the Boston Celtics as part of a sign-and-trade deal but those talks were ruled dead in the water on Sunday morning, leading to the Indiana trade.
West is a two-time all star who was drafted by new Orleans in 2003, he started 70 games last season and averaged 18.9 points with 7.6 rebounds. West was injured when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during his teams match against Utah on March 25.
After undergoing reconstructive surgery on April 12 West turned down a $7.5 million offer that would have allowed him to play with the Hornets this season.
In the meantime the Indiana Pacers are said to be still in trade mode with advanced discussions underway with the Memphis Grizzlies which will send guard O.J. may to the pacers for free agent Josh McRoberts.
Also still in the running for positions with Indiana are Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko, both of whom are wanted by the Pacers front office.
Do you think the Indiana Pacers made a worthwhile acquisition by bringing David West into the fold?
The New York Knicks’ superstar Allan Houston who played for NY during nine complete seasons will try to come back again to the NBA after his retirement in October 2005 due to a chronic knee injury. Along Houston’s accomplishments we can mention the period when he took the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals. he tried to reincorporate himself to the sport last year, but at the end he decided to put it off as it was only 10 days before the start of the regular season. But now things look different for Houston as he has been preparing to play with the Knicks and battle for a spot in the 2008-09 Knicks training camp and a possible regular season roster.
Back in 2002, Houston was one of the highest paid players in the NBA; he played for the Knicks with an extension contract of $20.7 million. Unfortunately, Houston was out for a total of 32 games during the following season and there were no trading opportunities for him to transfer to another team and he was not able to get his surgery and began the following season but the pain was too strong to continue like that and he was forced to retire by the end of 2005.
At this point, many are not very sure on whether Houston would be ready to play after almost three years of absence in the NBA, an arthritic knee and 37 years on his shoulders. we will find that out during the training camp of the Knicks as well as the results this could have at the NBA with Houston’s come back. he has signed a contract with the Knicks of a minimum NBA salary of $1.26 million for a player of his status.
Houston is the fourth leading scorer in the history of the Knicks with 11,165 points in a regular season and a career average of 17.3 points per game in 12 years of professional play. Houston’s best performance was during the season 2002-2003 scoring an average of 22.5 points. Additionally, during the first round of the 1999 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat Houston had a memorable play, a jumper in the lane with 0.8 seconds left to win the game 78-77 as well as the series for the Knicks and a final NBA championship game against the San Antonio Spurs.
There is no doubt Houston will always be a great player and someone to remember in the history of the NBA and the New York Knicks as his experience and his love for the game are remarkable. we believe that his determination will be once again be shown on the court along side with his team mates and his team. for this season, Houston will wear the number 14 in order to honor of his father, Wade, and the deep love he felt for the sport. he was one of the first African-American basketball players to play for the University of Louisville.
The New York Knicks are in the driver seat to land two maximum-contract free agents. this was made possible by recent cap room-clearing moves by the team, which freed up much needed cap space to possibly sign two of the games most outstanding players, in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. they cleared up this cap room by getting rid of local crowd favorites, such as Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson, and promising young talent, Jordan Hill.
It is not far fetch to think that Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers could end up playing for the Knicks. the Superstar point-forward is in the last year of his $24.8 Million a year contract with the Lakers. in fact, he could decide to leave the Lakers whether or not he wins the upcoming 2010 NBA championship.
Kobe is at the pinnacle of his career right now with 4 rings under his belt and a possible 5th if he wins another NBA championship this year (2010). he would like nothing better than to finish up his illustrious career at the place where basketball lives, the Mecca of sports–New York City, and the most famous arena in modern times–Madison Square Garden (MSG).
What bigger sports city are there than New York City that would provide Kobe with the stage to continue his legacy as possibly the best basketball player of all time but the Mecca of sports? there aren’t any So, it makes good sense to think that Kobe Bryant could come to the New York Knicks and finish up his career.
Basketball players have big egos, which Kobe is no different. So, what better way to show the world that he can also bring an NBA Title to the NY Knicks the same way he did for the Los Angeles Lakers, but to don a NY Knicks jersey. who would not want to be close to Spike Lee where a starring role in a movie could be possible? for those who are not Knicks fans and may not know about Spike Lee and his side-line friendly confrontations with Reggie Miller during Knicks-Pacers NBA Playoff games, Spike Lee is the most famous NY Knicks fan of all time
Most of us know him as a Hollywood actor and film director, but his legendary masterpieces on the New York Knicks sidelines cannot be undermined. he is known by the New York media as a passionate Knicks fan who takes no prisoners when it comes to cheering-on his Knicks to victories against fierce opponents.
Speak about coincident, Spike Lee made a documentary about a very famous NBA basketball player. Does anyone know the name of this player? Check your memories, please it is needed now
So, all who do not believe in what this article is saying, keep-on not believing Before the nonbelievers begin their barrage of rebuffing, they should take some time to research the answer to the question: who is the NBA player in the Spike Lee-directed and produced Basketball Documentary titled, doing Work?
The New York Knicks is the team that could make Kobe Bryant one of the richest basketball players in NBA history. the game of basketball is a game to us non-NBA players, but it is no game to a business man. it is just business. With that said, Kobe like other NBA players has very good business people, who are capable of negotiating the right deal for him.
It would be very difficult for him to get a Max contract with the Lakers because they are already close to their cap room limit. however, with the Knicks there is no cap room issue to worry about. As we have said before, the Knicks are in a position to give two players a lot of money.
Why the Knicks could also sign LeBron James along with Kobe? LeBron is a great young player with the Cleveland Cavaliers. he single handedly took the Cavs to the NBA finals, only to lose to Tim Dunkin, Tony Parker, and a superb supporting cast of outstanding players. being forced to play for the Cavaliers as a result of them winning the NBA Lottery, makes him a prime candidate for wanting more than the Cavs could offer him, in terms of a big stage like New York City and Madison Square Garden.
LeBron displays his mastery on the basketball court night in night out. According to some, he could possibly be the top 2 or 3 best players to ever play the game. His contract with the Cavaliers is up at the end of the 2010 season, and the Knicks could very well sign him along with Kobe. it would serve him well also to come and play for the Knicks. he would get the same benefits as Kobe.big city, Spike Lee, and more. Moreover, he would get the perfect New York City stage to help him grow into an even bigger superstar.
So, is there any reason why Kobe Bryant and LeBron James could not become New York Knicks Players, come this offseason (2010)? anything is possible when it comes to money and the New York stage. therefore, both Kobe and LeBron could very well become Knicks players.
Ben Roethlisberger needed only one good leg for the Pittsburgh Steelers to extend their mastery of the Cleveland Browns.
Roethlisberger played through a painful high ankle sprain in the second half to pass for 280 yards and two touchdowns, the last a 79-yard scoring strike to Antonio Brown with 2:52 left to help the Steelers win 14-3 on Thursday night.
Roethlisberger went to the locker room for X-rays following a gruesome second-quarter sack, but he returned to start the second half and passed for 178 yards after the break.
Pittsburgh (10-3) has won eight of its last nine games to move a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North race.
Colt McCoy passed for 209 yards but also threw two interceptions for the Browns (4-9), who lost for the 15th time in their last 16 meetings with the Steelers.
McCoy left briefly in the fourth quarter after taking a crashing helmet-to-helmet hit from Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison. McCoy lay motionless on the ground before making his way to the sideline.
The Steelers were leading 7-3 when Roethlisberger dropped back to pass on first down at the Pittsburgh 1-yard line. He moved up in the pocket to avoid pressure when Cleveland’s Scott Paxson corralled Roethlisberger’s left leg while teammate Brian Schaefering hit the quarterback in the chest and sent him toppling over awkwardly.
The two-time Super Bowl winner was down on the Heinz Field turf for several minutes before getting up and walking slowly to the locker room. Roethlisberger walked back onto the sideline to start the second half, and he received a huge ovation after hobbling to the Pittsburgh huddle.
Roethlisberger labored through every play – even handoffs were a chore – but he completed 8 of 12 passes in the second half.
Packers in demand: The cheese is going fast.
The Packers, the NFL’s only publicly owned team, said Thursday they sold 185,000 shares in the first 48 hours of a stock sale that began Tuesday morning. That’s almost three-fourths of the 250,000 shares made available in the fifth stock offering in team history.
The team set a Feb. 29 deadline for the sale, but at the current rate all available stock will be gone long before that as fans – the famous cheeseheads – snap up shares.
“The Packers are tremendously appreciative of the support we’ve received from our fans,” said Mark Murphy, Packers president and CEO.
The team is selling shares for $250 each, plus a $25 handling fee. as of Thursday, the Packers have raised about $43 million, which will go toward a $143 million expansion of Lambeau Field.
Ex-Chargers linebacker dies: Former Chargers linebacker Lew Bush, who played on the franchise’s lone Super Bowl team in 1994, has died. He was 42.
Bush, who also played for the Chiefs, died apparently of a heart attack, the Chargers said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear where Bush died. Public records show he lived in San Diego, and he had been a pregame commentator for the Chargers’ radio broadcast team.
Bush was the Chargers’ fourth-round pick from Washington State in the 1993 draft. He played seven seasons with San Diego, then three with the Chiefs.
Briefly: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson returned to practice on a limited basis, a big step toward recovering from his sprained left ankle. Quarterback Christian Ponder missed practice as he nurses a right hip pointer that puts his status in doubt for Sunday’s game at Detroit. … Rams quarterback Sam Bradford did not practice for the second straight day because of a nagging high left ankle sprain, but he hopes to play Monday night at Seattle. … Bills kicker Rian Lindell’s season is over after he was placed on injured reserve a month after breaking a bone in his right shoulder.
This article appeared on page B – 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle
