Drew Gooden. Without him the Bucks don’t beat the Lakers, let alone beat them by 11 points. The Lakers were never able to get within a bucket in the second half as Gooden came up with a score damn near every time Milwaukee needed one. It was his second consecutive game of 23 points… and his second consecutive game that made me wonder why he’s played for nine teams in ten years. He’s always put up numbers when given playing time, yet fallen out of favor everywhere he’s been. It’s a bit puzzling, but you’ve got to love him as a guy who can come in and instantly make an impact in place of an injured big man.
Gooden wasn’t the only Buck who played well. Luc Richard Mbah A Moute stepped up and did a pretty good job on the much bigger Pau Gasol, who went 6-18. Shaun Livingston did a solid job on Kobe (10-21, 27 points), which helped to make up for Stephen Jackson’s absence. Livingston contributed on the offensive end as well with 11 points. Ersan Ilyasova (15 points) and Mike Dunleavy (15 points) both made huge impacts off of the bench. Dunleavy led the Bucks in the first half with 10 points, and although he was quiet throughout much of the second he was able to hit two HUGE jumpers down the stretch. Dunny’s last two buckets came on consecutive possessions in the final two minutes and basically assured a Bucks victory. I didn’t even like the looks when he took ‘em because they were a little early in the shot clock, but hey, he confidently knocked ‘em down so it’s all gravy. I suppose you have to play to win rather than to not lose.
Final thought on Milwaukee’s 100-89 win: it was a Bucks win, not a Laker loss. What I mean by that is that the game wasn’t given to them… the Bucks stepped up and earned this W . It was crazy how long the lead seemed to stay somewhere around four to seven points. While Kobe Bryant never allowed the game to be blown wide open, the Bucks got key scores and big stops to prevent any runs. That’s huge in the game of basketball… don’t let a trailing team build up any sort of momentum. Gooden’s play was crucial in this respect; he was able to consistently create scores on his own both in the post and on the perimeter.
Kemba Walker recorded his first career triple-double from the point guard spot while Byron Mullens put up guard-like numbers from the center position. While both players impressed, a Bobcat loss was still in order (to the Wizards again… 102-99 this time). Walker dropped 20 points to go along with 10 boards and 11 assists. Mullens led the team with 23 points, but what’s the deal with the three rebounds? All of my readers know I love BJ, but he really needs to hit the glass a lot harder than he has been lately (4 boards in his last 3 games). As wet as his stroke is he won’t be able to stay on the floor for a team that doesn’t suck if he can’t remember to box out once in a while. It really is a glaring problem… his defensive/rebounding instincts just aren’t very good. He doesn’t pursue offensive boards at all, partly because he likes to chill on the perimeter. Love your game, BJ, but mix it up a little my man! Hit the block–I’ve seen that you’ve got some moves down there–and try to get a board for every bucket.
Lavoy Allen, a first-year big man from Temple, is stepping his game up for the surprising Sixers. When Philly lost Spencer Hawes to an achilles problem seven games ago Nik Vuceviv immediately came in and did an outstanding job. Unfortunately, his parade was pissed on when he went down with an ankle sprain. It appeared to be Tony Battie’s time to shine, and although Battie has remained the starter it’s been Lavoy Allen who has impressed. In the four games that Vucevic has missed Allen is averaging about 8 points and 5 boards on 60% from the floor. Keep in mind that he’s only playing about 20 minutes per game during the stretch, and that he’s appeared in a total of six games including tonight’s 95-74 win over the Pistons. For a young guy to come in and bang down open jumpers like Lavoy has… that’s a pretty impressive display of poise, and it obviously shows that he’s got some skill. Just when you thought Philly couldn’t possibly be any deeper, right? Right.
I’ve got to give it up to Doug Collins… this man gets the best out of his team. Eight different players are averaging 9 points or more for the Sixers. The team leader in scoring, Louis Williams, only puts up 10 more PPG than the 10th place guy. That little nugget represents the unselfishness, teamwork, and unbelievable depth that make this Sixer team unique, fun, and pretty damn good.
Apparently Jimmer Fredette played his college ball in Utah? I told you I don’t follow college basketball. I couldn’t have told you where the f@ck Bringham Young University was until I realized that Jazz fans were calling for Jimmer’s return late in a tight game. Although he scored 13 points, his homecoming certainly could’ve gone better. Once again, the Jazz let a bad team hang around, making for an exciting finish. Jimmer had a pretty good look at a three to tie the game with just seconds remaining…….and he airmailed it. He attempted to play it off like Earl Watson fouled him but I think he just choked. It should be noted that ‘Reke dropped 31/6/9 in this game. I only watched bits and pieces, but every time I tuned in he was slicing to the rack and finishing with his right hand. It’s amazing how everyone in the building knows exactly what he’s gonna do yet he still can’t be stopped. Imagine if he actually had a backup plan… like maybe a jump shot.
Want to overachieve? Make a trade with New York. Those sneaky Rockets improved to 12-8 by kicking the sh!t out of the 1-15,725,183 Knicks, who were once again without Carmelo Anthony. Ex-Knickerbocker Jordan Hill added insult to injury by posting 14 points and 11 boards. Tyson Chandler matched his 14/11, but at what cost? The answer to that question is one quadrillion dollars and the starting point guard.
Box Score Observations: The Memphis Grizzlies got out-rebounded by the Phoenix Suns, and also lost to the Phoenix Suns. That’s not a good look… they’re now 10-9. Andre Iguodala had a 10/10/10 triple-double for both the Sixers and my fantasy team. The Knicks went 5-26 from three (19%).
Highlight Recap, Brandon Jennings Edition:
Andre Iggy’s self-pass should also be noted. See the Top 10 for more.
