11/11/10: Lakers No Longer Undefeated.

With LA’s loss in Denver, the New Orleans Hornets remain as the final unbeatean team in the league.  If you predicted that, start your own blog, because you know more about the NBA than I do.  It was a three-game Thursday this week, let me tell you all about it…

Random Observations:

  • Highlight Recap: Derrick Rose sick dunkRose dishes to Noah for a dunkShannon Brown fastbreak dunkShannon Brown putback dunkRajon Rondo up high and down hardLBJ sick finishKobe Bryant driving dunkTop 5 plays
  • Lowlight Recap: LeBron James spots up in the corner for a huge three pointer and…….hits the side of the glass.  I know, I know, a miss is a miss whether it rims out or hits the foam on the side of the backboard, but still…  that was just an ugly shot.  I’m sure LeBron would love to have that one back.
  • Kobe Bryant had a season-high 34 points and became the youngest player ever to score 26,000 points, but his Lakers blew a 10-point 4th quarter lead and dropped the game to the Nuggets.  Ty Lawson scored 11 points during a 16-0 run which put Denver in the lead with 7:39 left in the game.  The Nuggets briefly gave LA the lead back, but only for about two minutes.  Carmelo came through and finished the Lakers off with eight points in the final 4:37.  Melo had 32/13 in the game.  Pau Gasol had 20 boards for the Lakers. 
  • The Heat, who had lost two of their last three, layed another egg against the Celtics.  It was pretty much a repeat of opening night: Miami allowed Boston to build a huge lead early, then made a too-little too-late type of run led by LeBron, but could never get over the hump.  There were some individual statistical similiarities as well: Ray Allen hit five threes on opening night; he hit seven more last night.  Rajon Rondo dished out 16 assists; he had 17 in the first matchup.  LeBron James scored 35 last night, close to the 31 he scored last time.  Dwyane Wade shot very poorly in both games (he’s now 6-28 against the Celtics this season).  Erick Spoelstra, I have a feeling your time is going to be up pretty soon… get ready to take an extended All-Star break.
  • I could’ve icluded this in the Miami/Boston recap, but this is so bad it needs it’s own bullet.  I like LeBron James, I consider him the best player in the league, and I have supported him most of the time…  but I can’t support this.  Here’s what he had to say after last night’s loss: “For myself, 44 minutes is too much.”  …uh, are you serious?  Dude, you’re playing the defending Eastern Conference Champs–the guys who made you look silly on opening night–on your home floor.  Yeah, it’s just one regular season W or L on the final record, but you’re supposed to get hyped for this.  No game will be any more meaningful than this one until April.  Not giving a crap until the playoffs probably isn’t going to get it done, especially with a team like Miami where these guys still need to figure out how to play together.  The fact that LeBron thinks 44 minutes in this type of game is “too much” is a little disturbing.  He should be bitching because he wasn’t allowed to play the full 48. 
  • After winning two straight on the road, the Warriors rolled into Chicago and got trampled by the stampeding Bulls.  Chicago damn near shot 55% from the floor and made 21 of 23 freethrows.  The freethrows were a major factor in this one, the Warriors only shot seven of them in the entire game, a season low for them.  I have no idea what the success rate is for teams that take 16 more threes than freethrows in a game, but I imagine it can’t be very good.  Give up 37 fast break points and 58 more in the paint and you’ve pretty much got a guaranteed loss (in Golden State’s case, a loss of the 30-point variety).  Luol Deng had 26/11 in this one, Derrick Rose had 22/13. 
  • Yao Ming is going to miss about a week with a strained tendon in his left ankle.  I’m sure Rockets fans are breathing a sigh of relief, when Yao goes down it’s usually for longer than a week.

Quote of the Day: Paul Pierce via twitter after last night’s victory…

“It’s been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis.”

Don’t get too cocky now, Paul.  Remember, last time you beat Miami you followed it up with a loss to the Cavaliers. 

Photo of the Day:

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One Response to 11/11/10: Lakers No Longer Undefeated.

  1. Nick says:

    Always enjoy reading your NBA blog, quality highlights, good analysis and those quotes are always fantastic.
    Keep up the good work!

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