First of all, I’m going to be keeping things relatively brief today because I’m not feeling well. I’m not going to call in sick from blogging, but don’t expect my best work of all time. MJ played with the flu, so I figure I can write with it a little bit. Moving right along… check out these lines from the Thunder/Wolves game:
- Durant: 47 points, 18 boards, 2 assists
- Love: 31 points, 12 boards, 2 assists
- Beasley: 30 points, 9 boards, 7 assists
The game did last five extra minutes, but that’s still some pretty crazy stuff. I’m kicking myself for not tuning in. I was considering it, but I went with a combo of three other games instead. Normally the Clippers would leave me with no regrets, but Chuck Hayes locked Blake Griffin down like he was a maximum-security prisoner.
Random Observations:
- Highlight Recap: The top 10 is worth three minutes of your time today…
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You may want to mute it, though. They need to find a less annoying narrator for these things reeeeally bad. “The gangsta slap”? “Homie don’t play that”? He’s like a poor man’s Stuart Scott… and there should be no such thing as a poor man’s Stewart Scott, because he’s brutal enough on the ears himself.
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Durant’s 47 and 18 were both career bests (although the points only tied his career high), and he needed each and every one of those numbers to lead his Thunder over the T-Wolves in Minnesota. OKC eeked out a one-point OT victory over the struggling Wolves who have now lost 10 of their last 11. Durant and Love accounted for 29 of the 58 total points scored in the fourth quarter, but only 4 of 15 in OT (Love went scoreless on just one shot attempt).
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Blake Griffin had the worst NBA game I’ve ever seen him play as the Clipps lost by 13 to the Rockets. Give Chuck Hayes 100 percent of the credit for holding Blake to 14 points and 11 boards on 5-16 shooting. This wasn’t just a rough shooting night for Blake. He couldn’t make shots because he couldn’t get to the spots on the floor that he likes to shoot from. According to ESPN’s shot chart, Griffin got 10 looks from inside the paint. The problem was that the majority of them weren’t dunks or layups like he normally gets. Hayes forced him to shoot five to ten footers rather than point-blank dunks and layups, got a hand in his face, and kept him off the offensive glass pretty effectively. I love Blake Griffin, and he’s on my fantasy team, so while this sucked in a way, it was a beautiful thing to watch in a different way. Hayes is undersized, unathletic, and lacks the skill of your average NBA player. He scored just five points, yet he’s the main reason why Houston won this game. His hard work doesn’t show up in the box score. He won’t get any props from most fans because there’s absolutely nothing flashy about what he does. He’ll never make an all-defense team because he’s 6’6 and he’s not racking up steals and blocks. Chuck is probably the most underrated defender in the league, and that likely won’t change any time soon.
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After dropping all five games of their recent road trip, the Jazz got to come home and play the Spurs. Welcome back! Led by 26 points from Manu Ginobili, the Spurs got the W 112-105. Deron Williams had 39 points and nine assists, but his individual dominance wasn’t enough to overcome the opposition’s team effort. San Antonio had six players score in double figures. The Jazz should be able to snap this six-game losing streak on Friday night when the Wolves will be in town.
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The Hawks scored 90 points on the road against the Bucks. So they won by 10, right? Wrong. ATL gave up 98 points to Milwaukee, including 22 to Corey Maggette, who made just three freethrows. If I was coaching a team that gave up eight buckets to Corey f@ckin’ Maggette they’d have to haul me out of the arena in a straight jacket. Earl Boykins added 20 more for the Bucks, and Carlos Delfino was third in line with 15.
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The other games: Chauncey Billups dropped 26 in his old stomping grounds (Detroit) as the Nuggets picked up a 109-100 victory. Marreese Sepights dropped 23/9 in just 17 minutes to help the Sixers win their third in a row. This one was over the Craptors by 13. I don’t understand why Speights continues to get bench splinters while playing behind Spencer Hawes. The Grizzlies… talented enough to compete with the big boys on any given night, yet also capable of losing to the New Jersey Nets. They did the latter last night, 93-88, to be specific. Anthony Morrow led the Nets with 19 points. Dwight Howard put 19/16 on Roy Hibbert and the Pacers as the Magic coasted to a 111-96 victory. Kwame Brown picked up another double-double (12/10) in a 114-107 Bobcats win over the Suns. Wince Carter knocked down five triples and a couple bonkers jumpers down the stretch, but Kwame was simply too dominant. The Hornets overcame 23 made freethrows by the Warriors in a 112-103 victory. David West dropped 22.
Quote of the Day: Doug Collins on his bench…
“Our second unit is probably our best offensive team.”
Seeing as Spencer Hawes brings absolutely nothing to the table, maybe you should give Speights some minutes? Just a thought, Doug.
Photo of the Day:
