The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 107 Cleveland Cavaliers 96

Stop the presses! The Bulls have won two games in a row! They even beat a real team this time. It was an all-around effort for the Bulls, as six players finished in double digits scoring wise, led by Luol Deng and Ben Gordon who each had 23 points. As is normally the case, the Bulls weren't able to stop LeBron as he followed his 50-point performance in New York on Wednesday with 39 points on Thursday, but he didn't get much help from his teammates. The Bulls pulled away in the second half against what seemed to be a Cavs team who was losing their legs on the second game of a back to back. Joakim Noah also had a big game for the Bulls, as he responded to coach Boylan's wishes that he be more aggressive, and finished the game with 13 points and a career high 20 rebounds. Ten of which came on the offensive glass. Oh, and if you're wondering, Ben Wallace never had a 20 rebound game with the Bulls. He did manage 2 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland on Thursday, though.

Houston Rockets 113 Dallas Mavericks 98

The Rockets have now won 17 games in a row, and are 5-0 without Yao Ming. The Mavs were without Dirk Nowitzki (suspended one game for clotheslining Andrei Kirilenko to avenge Hitler), but I don't think it would have mattered much. They've really struggled since Jason Kidd came to town, and they don't have Tracy McGrady. T-Mac scored 31 points and 9 assists to lead Houston, and Rafer Alston had 24 as well.

San Antonio Spurs 108 Indiana Pacers 97

Speaking of hot teams from Texas, the Spurs racked up their 11th straight win over the Pacers. Manu Ginobili lit it up for the Spurs, missing only three of his 13 shots on the way to 28 points. Tony Parker had 19 points and Tim Duncan had 12 boards, but only 6 points. Of course, they didn't need them anyway. "They're just really solid," Mike Dunleavy said. "They've got three great players. On any given night two of them are going to have very good nights. ... They have their principles and stick to them."

The Basketball Diaries

Boston Celtics 90 Detroit Pistons 78

And with that, the Celtics become the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot, and with only 23 games left to play. Kevin Garnett scored a season high 31 points to lead the Celtics past the Pistons in a matchup between the only two teams in the East worth anything. The win also gave Boston a victory in the season series against Detroit, taking two of the three meetings. "It was good to beat them in the regular season and win the series, but this is a team we're probably going to see in the playoffs," said Paul Pierce, who scored 15 points. "They'll be a better team by then." Chauncy Billups led Detroit with 23 points.

Houston Rockets 117 Indiana Pacers 99

When the Rockets found out they were going to be without Yao Ming for the rest of the season, I made no secret of the fact I thought it meant they had no chance of making the playoffs in the West. Well, all Houston's done since Yao went out is go 4-0 and extend their win streak to a franchise record 16 straight. Tracy McGrady had 25 points, and Rafer Alston added 21 to propel the Rockets. "It's all about confidence," McGrady said. "We have great chemistry and guys know their roles here. We all are playing so well, we just can't really count on one guy."

Denver Nuggets 126 Phoenix Suns 113

So that Shaq trade still isn't working out very well. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 13 rebounds, Allen Iverson had 31 points and 12 assists, and just about everybody in a Denver Nuggets uniform dropped in 20 points against the reeling Suns in Denver on Wednesday night. "Guys like Carmelo and A.I. are going to get theirs," Shaquille O'Neal said. "But when J.R. Smith comes out and shoots those wild shots that he was making, then they are a hard team to beat."

Elsewhere...

• Magic 122 Wizards 92
• Bobcats 118 Warriors 109
• Raptors 108 Heat 83
• Cavs 119 Knicks 105
• Hornets 116 Hawks 101
• Bucks 118 Sonics 106
• Grizzlies 100 Nets 93
• Jazz 105 TWolves 76
• Clippers 116 Kings 109 2OT

The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 113 Indiana Pacers 107

On Tuesday the Bulls were supposed to have a day off, but instead they chose to hold practice since newcomers Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes hadn't had a chance to practice with the team since coming over from Cleveland. It made a bit of a difference. Hughes scored 29 points, while Gooden had 10 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls got their first win since shipping Ben Wallace to Cleveland Hughes and Gooden joined the team. "Our chemistry is starting to come together a little bit," Chicago coach Jim Boylan said. "There's a lot of things that go into changing a team ... but at the end of the day, it's basketball and they do what they do out there."

Boston Celtics 92 Cleveland Cavaliers 87

Well, the Cavs traded for Ben Wallace and Wally Sczerbiak because they thought it would give them a better chance against the Celtics and Pistons in the East. Their first chance to prove it came on Wednesday night, and if early returns are to be believed, the trade did nothing for them. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Ray Allen had 22 points to lead the Celtics. LeBron scored 24 points for the Cavs, but did so on 7/24 shooting from the field. "When you have an off-shooting night like this, it's tough to pull a game out," said James. "Especially against the best team in the league." I like to call it The Ben Wallace Effect.

New Orleans Hornets 120 Phoenix Suns 103

If I'm a Hornets fan, I'm hoping my team gets a first round matchup with the Suns in the playoffs. The Hornets and Suns faced each other for the fourth time this season on Wednesday night, and for the fourth time this season the Hornets sent the Suns home with a loss. Chris Paul had 25 points and 15 assists to help shake New Orleans out of a three-game losing streak. "We match up with them pretty well," said Hornets forward David West, who scored 27 points. "C.P. and our guards have an advantage over their guards with their speed and ability to get up and down the floor. ... It just happens that Phoenix is one of those teams that we feel confident against." The Suns are now 2-3 since trading for Shaq.

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 123 Kings 117
• Sixers 101 Magic 89
• Raptors 107 TWolves 85
• Knicks 113 Bobcats 89
• Jazz 103 Pistons 95
• Nuggets 138 Sonics 96
• Blazers 82 Clippers 80

The Basketball Diaries

San Antonio Spurs 90 Miami Heat 89

Oh those poor Miami Heat. There they were on Thursday night riding their 14-game losing streak, at home against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Nobody would have cared had they just packed it in, and took the night off. Let's face it, when you've lost 14 in a row, what's one more? Instead they showed up with every intention of winning, and jumped out to an early lead on Spurs. Dwyane Wade's 27 points and 9 assists seemed like they'd be enough to get Miami a W, but, alas, Manu Ginobili's layup in the final minute gave the Spurs the lead for the first time all night. They didn't relinquish it, and the Heat now sit two more losses shy of tying the franchise record. I'll be rooting for them!

Milwaukee Bucks 104 Indiana Pacers 92

Michael Redd hasn't been getting many shots lately, but he made up for it on Thursday against the Pacers. He took 29 of them, and luckily 13 went in, so Michael ended up with 37 to lead the Bucks to victory. "There's nobody on our team I'd rather have taking an open shot than Michael," Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said."It's the time when maybe he carries the burden on his shoulders a little bit and takes some forced shots," he said. "I don't want to rob anybody of feeling like they can't take shots when they're open." It's the Pacers third loss in four games since losing Jermaine O'Neal, which has become a winter tradition in Indianapolis.

Golden State Warriors 121 New Jersey Nets 119

I'm kind of pissed off I forgot to record this game, because I don't mind watching Jason Kidd and Baron Davis on the court together. Unfortunately, since there's no AP report up about this game as I write this, I have no idea what happened yet. Maybe Panger will fill you in later.

The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 108 Indiana Pacers 95

You probably shouldn't read too much into this game. Yes, on a night in which the Bulls were without Luol Deng (1-3 weeks) and Ben Gordon, they probably played their best game of the season. Obviously Kirk Hinrich did. Hinrich set a new career-high with 38 points and doled out 10 assists to lead the Bulls on Wednesday at the United Center. "I don't know what to say," Hinrich said. "I felt a responsibility to do that tonight. We just needed a win. There was definitely some desperation for this team." Andres Nocioni had 24 points, Thabo Sefolosha had 14, and Joakim Noah scored 14 and grabbed 15 rebounds while playing more minutes than both Ben Wallace and Joe Smith.

Toronto Raptors 114 Boston Celtics 112

The Raptors went and had themselves a Kirk Hinrich night on Wednesday. Toronto shot 58% from the field during the game, including 71% (15/21) from behind the three-point line, to beat the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night. They did all that, and they only won by 2 points. It was Jose Calderon's three-point play with 10.5 seconds left that won the game for Toronto. "It was really important to beat them -- so we could see if we could," Calderon said. "We knew how to play them after already playing them three times." Yeah, it's easy, as long as you make every shot you take, you'll have a chance.

San Antonio Spurs 103 Los Angeles Lakers 91

I guess this game was pretty big, though it's hard to have a big NBA game in the middle of January. The result doesn't mean much with Andrew Bynum hurt though. Tim Duncan scored 28 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to help the Spurs overcome a slow start, and take care of the upstart Lakers. Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds for the Lakers, but he also helped San Antonio by committing 9 of the Lakers 22 turnovers. It's hard enough to beat the defending champs, but when you turn the ball over that many times, it's going to be damn near impossible.

Elsewhere...

• Cavs 121 Wizards 85
• Pistons 86 Sixers 78
• Mavs 102 Bobcats 95
• Hornets 96 Blazers 81
• TWolves 117 Suns 107
• Magic 112 Grizzlies 85
• Nuggets 107 Hawks 100
• Rockets 109 Sonics 107
• Clippers 111 Kings 85

The Basketball Diaries

New York Knicks 105 Chicago Bulls 100

So I'm watching this game last night, and there are all these good things I'm seeing the Bulls do. I'm making all these mental notes of things I want to talk about, hell, I'm even thinking of leaving the Bulls out of the Diaries and instead writing the "feature" on the improved play of the team. Then, BAM, the fourth quarter happens. I don't know what the hell happened, but the Bulls were firmly in control of this game for almost the entire night, and then they lost all of a sudden. The Knicks outscored them 27-12 in the 4th quarter. So I won't be talking about how the young trio of Aaron Gray, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas dominated the Knicks in the second quarter. Nor will I be talking about Joe Smith's latest double double.

Cleveland Cavaliers 95 Seattle Sonics 79

Like the Bulls, the Cavaliers got off to a very slow start this season. Unlike the Bulls, the Cavs have begun to dig themselves out of it. Having LeBron James doesn't hurt, as he scored 22 points to lead Cleveland, despite sitting out the majority of the 4th quarter as the Cavs coasted to their 6th win in their last seven games. "There a point and time, if you truly believe you're an elite team, you don't have to say, 'Hey guys, remember, this team is 9-and-whatever they are. We have to come out and play,'" Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "There was no rah-rah speech in there. It was, '1, 2, 3, work hard,' and that was it." Kevin Durant had 24 for Seattle.

Utah Jazz 111 Indiana Pacers 89

The Jazz used the first quarter to jump out on the Pacers, and they never let Indiana get back into the game from there. Utah had a 40-19 lead at the end of the first, and both the starters and the bench had a relatively easy time with the Pacers. Carlos Boozer had 22 points, Matt Harpring had 16, and Deron Williams had 10 points and 9 assists to lead Utah. "We did a good job being the aggressors tonight and we did a good job maintaining that throughout the game, especially defensively. Our defense was able to create the offense for us," Boozer said.

Elsewhere...

• Bucks 87 Sixers 83
• Rockets 92 Wizards 84
• Bobcats 115 Nets 99
• TWolves 101 Heat 91
• Lakers 117 Grizzlies 101
• Kings 104 Magic 100

The Basketball Diaries

San Antonio Spurs 94 Chicago Bulls 79

New coach, same crappy team. In their first game free from the shackles of Scott Skiles, the Bulls looked an awful lot like the same Bulls team that cost Skiles his job. Of course, it may have been a little unfair to expect the Bulls to win their first game with Pete Myers when they were playing the defending champs. Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with his 28 points, as San Antonio played nearly the entire game with a double digit lead. Joe Smith led the Bulls with 19 points.

Atlanta Hawks 107 Indiana Pacers 95

It's not very often that the Atlanta Hawks are in one of the featured games in the Diaries, but I feel it's time to give them some props. Atlanta won it's fifth straight game on Wednesday night, and they're currently 15-12, which would make them a playoff team. When was the last time we could say that about the Hawks? (It was the 98-99 season.) It finally looks like all those lottery picks they've accumulated throughout the years are learning to play together. Joe Johnson is the straw that stirs the drink though, and he led the team with 26 points on Wednesday, one of five Hawks to finish in double figures. "Teams are starting to realize it's not just a walk in the park to come to Atlanta and play in Philips Arena," said Josh Smith.

Elsewhere...

• Sixers 95 Heat 86
• Magic 110 Knicks 96
• Wizards 108 Bobcats 104
• Pistons 101 Nets 83
• Hornets 116 Grizzlies 98
• Nuggets 125 Bucks 105
• Jazz 99 Mavs 90
• Celtics 89 Kings 69
• Warriors 105 TWolves 101

The Basketball Diaries

Indiana Pacers 112 Chicago Bulls 102

Kareem Rush just owns the Bulls. He's never been that great of a player in the pros, but when he was a Laker, he killed the Bulls. When he was in Charlotte, he killed the Bulls. Now that he's an Indiana Pacer, he's killing the Bulls. Rush scored 22 points on Wednesday night to help the Pacers send the Bulls back to that oh so familiar location, the loss column. The same Kareem Rush who's averaging 3.2 points per game this season. Of course, the game was secondary. The only real action came in the second quarter when Troy Murphy and Tyrus Thomas got into a shoving match and were both ejected from the game. I don't know what it is, but I find this year's team to be completely unlikable, and that's incredibly odd considering it's the same team I loved last year. Right now there are only two players on the roster who I don't hate: Andres Nocioni and Joe Smith. That's not a good thing. This team has me so angry, in fact, I don't even feel like doing a complete Diaries today.

Sorry, but don't blame me. Blame the Bulls for making me hate basketball at the moment.

Elsewhere...

• Sixers 98 TWolves 94
• Raptors 92 Mavs 76
• Bobcats 108 Clippers 103
• Celtics 90 Kings 78
• Sonics 117 Knicks 110
• Rockets 80 Pistons 77
• Bucks 100 Magic 86
• Nuggets 105 Hornets 99
• Blazers 105 Warriors 95
• Suns 103 Jazz 98
  

The Basketball Diaries

Phoenix Suns 121 Indiana Pacers 117

Amare Stoudemire went and had himself a night in Indianapolis on Tuesday. Stoudemire scored 42 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and helped the Suns finish off the Pacers. Phoenix blew a 15-point lead in the 4th quarter, and trailed Indiana 117-115 with a little over a minute left before Steve Nash hit a three pointer that gave Phoenix a lead they never gave back. "It was just a relief that we could make the plays down the stretch and get the stops when it counted, but not a very gratifying win," Nash said. Nash finished with 18 points and 17 assists. Jermaine O'Neal led Indiana with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings 117 Utah Jazz 107

Basketball is a pretty simple game really. Generally, while playing, you don't want to give up 43 points in the 4th quarter to your opponent. You don't win very often when that happens, and the Jazz were reminded of that simple fact on Tuesday night. John Salmons took the game over for Sacramento after the Kings lost their leading scorer, Kevin Martin, at the end of the third quarter. Salmons scored 13 straight points for the Kings to give Sacto a lead they wouldn't relinquish. "Five or six times in a row I went right to him and he made something happen," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "You put him in the spots where he can play and he can usually make it happen." The win is nice for the Kings, but they're going to be without Kevin Martin for the next month as he suffered a sprained groin.

Elsewhere...

• Pistons 106 Hawks 95
• Nets 100 Cavs 79
• Lakers 116 TWolves 95
• Bucks 87 Clippers 78

The Basketball Diaries

Denver Nuggets 112 Chicago Bulls 91

It sure is fun watching this team get blown out by somebody every other night. Something tells me that if Joakim Noah continues to lead the Bulls in scoring like he did on Tuesday night, the Bulls are going to lose a lot more games. Noah had 16 points to lead the Bulls, while Carmelo Anthony scored 18 in the first half and finished the game with 26 to lead Denver. Without Luol Deng for a second straight game, the Bulls needed Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich to step up and deliver big games, but instead the two combined for 20 points on 8-of-27 shooting. With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, the thing I'm most thankful for is that I don't have to watch the Bulls again until Saturday.

Los Angeles Lakers 134 Indiana Pacers 114

Kobe wanted to come to Chicago originally so that he could be on a good team, and now that we're nearly a month into the season, the Lakers sit at 7-3 and are light years ahead of the Bulls right now. Kobe scored 32 points on Tuesday night to lead the Lakers, but it wasn't a one man show. In fact, the Lakers took this game over while Bryant sat on the bench at the start of the 4th quarter. Jordan Farmar had a career high 18 points, and Andrew Bynum had 17 and 10 as the Lakers scored at least 30 points in every quarter. "It feels great," he said. "Everybody's contributing. When we have games like tonight, particularly when we're on the road, that's when everybody gains confidence and really starts finding their groove."

Phoenix Suns 100 Sacramento Kings 98

The Kings rallied in the 4th quarter to have a chance to win the game late, but Amare Stoudemire blocked John Salmons' three-point attempt with a second left to win the game for Phoenix. Stoudemire finished the night with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa had 22, Grant Hill had 19, and Steve Nash had 14 points along with 12 assists for the Suns. Ron Artest scored a season high 33 points and grabbed 12 boards for the Kings, but in the end it just wasn't enough.

Elsewhere...

• Spurs 95 Hawks 83
• Bucks 111 Cavs 107
• Wizards 116 Sixers 101
• Warriors 108 Knicks 82
• Mavs 105 Raptors 99

The Basketball Diaries

Boston Celtics 101 Indiana Pacers 86

I'm still waiting to see the Celtics go against the better teams of the Western Conference before I make a judgment on how good they are, but at the moment I don't think there's anybody in the East that could beat them in a seven game series. The Pacers were keeping up with Boston through the 2nd quarter before Jamaal Tinsley took a hard foul against Paul Pierce. Pierce then responded by scoring 13 points in a three minute span that blew this one open. He'd go on to finish with 31. Kevin Garnett had 18 and Ray Allen had 17 while nobody else on Boston reached double digits.

San Antonio Spurs 107 Los Angeles Lakers 92

The formula the Spurs used for success on Tuesday night probably won't win them another title, but it was good enough to beat the Lakers. Tim Duncan scored only 5 points for the Spurs, while Bruce Bowen scored 23. Going into the game, Bowen had been averaging 2.9 points a game. The Lakers defense was concerned with doubling Tim Duncan, which left Bowen alone at the three-point line all night, and he took advantage of it by going 6-for-6 from long range. He also had the task of guarding Kobe all night, and he held Bryant to 18 points. "His effort tonight was no different than any other night," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's not like he just turns it on for Kobe or this guy or that guy. He does it every night he steps on the court because he's a pro."

Portland Trail Blazers 102 Detroit Pistons 94

The Blazers beat the Pistons at home for the first time since 2003, or to be more specific, since they traded Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way for Portland, scoring 22 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and holding Rasheed to 15 points of his own. Brandon Roy and Jarrett Jack also scored 20 points each to lead the Blazers to victory. As for Rasheed, he isn't too worried about this loss. "I could care less about coming back here and winning. I got a bigger picture," Wallace said. "My bigger picture ain't just to come back here and beat them. I'm playing for that hardware. They're worried about making the playoffs and beating me. They can do that. I'm worried about the hardware." Why can't people realize that the correct phrase is "I couldn't care less"? By saying you could care less implies that you actually do care. Moron.

Elsewhere...

• Magic 103 Sonics 76
• Bobcats 91 Heat 76
• Grizzlies 105 Rockets 99
• Mavs 99 Sixers 84
• Suns 113 Knicks 102

The Basketball Diaries - Eddy Curry Is Still Fat And Slow

Chicago Bulls 98 New York Knicks 69

I was at this game last night (Thanks, Greg!) and the thing I noticed more than anything else was just how fat Eddy Curry really is. It was also obvious that he's slow, and sucks on D. Of course, I already knew all of this from his playing days with the Bulls, but I just like to point it out as often as I can. The Bulls owned the Knicks from the outset as this game was never close. The only disappointment came when the Bulls couldn't manage four damn points in the final two and a half minutes and cost me a free Big Mac. Bastards. Oh, and there were extracurricular activities afterwards because of it. Jerome James tried to go after Tyrus Thomas in the tunnel after the game cuz the Knicks thought they were trying to rub it in. "I think they were definitely trying to rub it in," said Eddy Curry, who spent his first four seasons with the Bulls. "But we'll see them next year." Oh shut up, Eddy. You knew exactly what was going on. Hell, you wanted one of those damn Big Macs. I saw your mother in the crowd.

New Jersey Nets 96 Washington Wizards 92

Things are falling apart and fast in Washington. The Wizards lost their five straight since losing both Agent Zero and Caron Butler, and now the Nets are withing two games of the Wiz for the sixth seed in the East. Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 35 points. Of course, there was still some good news for the Wizards....

Philadelphia 76ers 90 Indiana Pacers 86

...because this Pacers loss clinched a playoff berth for them. Now they get to lose in the first round! Congrats, Washington. The Sixers were shorthanded but it didn't keep them from basically ending the Pacers season. Andre Miller had 19 points and 11 assists for Philly. As for the Pacers and Jermaine O'Neal, they're realizing their fate. "We didn't really meet the challenge that we needed to meet, especially since we're in the playoff push," O'Neal said. "There's not a word that really describes the feeling of it, especially when we struggled the way we struggled tonight."

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 104 Celtics 96
• Bobcats 92 Heat 82
• Hornets 103 Clippers 100 OT
• Kings 112 Grizzlies 100
  

The Basketball Diaries - I Am Yao, Hear Me Roar

Houston Rockets 107 Los Angeles Lakers 104 OT

Kobe returned to the land of 50-point scorers last night, but it wasn't enough to get the Lakers a win. Yao Ming had 39, and T-Mac added 30 to lead Houston past Kobe and the Lakers. Despite the loss, Kobe's 53 points gave him an average of 40.4 points a game in March. Kobe's the only player to do that in the last 40 years, and he's done it four times now.

Toronto Raptors 123 Washington Wizards 118 OT

Michael Ruffin throws like a girl. The Wizards had this game wrapped up. Gilbert gave them a three-point lead, and the Raptors had to inbound from full court with 3.8 seconds left. The inbounds pass was tipped at the free-throw line where it ended up in Ruffin's hands. Ruffin then heaved the ball into the air to run out the clock, but as I said, he throws like a girl. The ball came down into Morris Peterson's hands with a second left, and he fired a miracle 31-foot three pointer that went in. What? My words aren't good enough? Fine.





Happy? The Raptors would win in overtime, and hold onto the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando Magic 95 Indiana Pacers 87

I think it's pretty safe to announce the Pacers' playoff hopes are officially dead. They've lost 17 of 19, and trading Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to Golden State is looking like a horrible trade for them, going 11-22 since the deal. Grant Hill had 22 points for the Magic, as they continue to lead the fight to be eliminated by Detroit.

Elsewhere...

• Sixers 88 Celtics 82
• Bobcats 97 Bucks 81
• Pistons 110 Nets 105
• Heat 92 TWolves 77
• Spurs 102 Jazz 93
• Mavs 105 Knicks 103
• Suns 125 Nuggets 108
• Clippers 105 Kings 101
• Sonics 120 Grizzlies 93

The Basketball Diaries - Kobe Sucks

Los Angeles Lakers 115 Golden State Warriors 113

Kobe's streak of 50 point games came to an end last night. He went back to his crappy self and only scored 43. Pathetic. Frankly, I don't even think the Lakers should get credit for their fifth straight win. Hopefully, the league will look into it. The worst part? Kobe doesn't even care that he didn't get 50. Selfish prick. "What? No!" Bryant said emphatically when asked if he felt any disappointment about falling short of 50. "I've always said Wilt's a human video game. For me to be in the same breath with him, even if it's a short little breath, is pretty cool."

Chicago Bulls 92 Indiana Pacers 90

The Bulls don't win in Indiana very often, but thanks to a Ben Gordon jumper in the closing seconds they've now clinched two of their last 13 games in Indianapolis. Of course, I didn't get to watch any of it because it wasn't televised. Why? I don't know. I guess Comcast really needed to show that Cubs spring training game.

Sacramento Kings 107 Phoenix Suns 100

Mike Bibby was huge yesterday. He tied a Kings record with 9 three-pointers en route to 37 points. Two of the treys came in the final minute to give the Kings a pretty surprising win over Phoenix. "This feels good," Bibby said. "It was a big win, and we needed it. We've got 12 [games] left, so we've got to make sure we get a good amount of those 12 to give ourselves a chance."

Elsewhere...

• Mavs 104 Hawks 97
• Pistons 121 Bucks 95
• TWolves 94 Blazers 93
• Hornets 106 Rockets 94
• Nuggets 105 Cavs 93
• Spurs 120 Sonics 79

The Basketball Diaries-I Can't Believe I Forgot To Set The Tivo

Phoenix Suns 129 Dallas Mavericks 127 2OT

I'm going to be kicking myself for a while after forgetting to record this game last night. The Suns dominated the first and fourth quarters, but thanks to a third quarter in which they were outscored 38-16 the Suns needed two overtimes to overtake the Mighty Mavs. Steve Nash showed his MVP form by scoring 10 points in the final minute of regulation to force the first overtime. Amare had 41 and 10, while Nash had 32, 16 assists and 8 rebounds. Dirk had 30 and 16 while Jerry Stackhouse dropped in 33 of his own, and I hate myself for missing all of it.

Chicago Bulls 88 Philadelphia 76ers 87

The Bulls played like crap for about 45 minutes, and then finally got their act together in the final three minutes to win their 4th straight and 10th of their last 13 in Philly. Kirk Hinrich put the Bulls ahead with 26.7 seconds left, and then after an ugly air ball by Andre Iguodala, Adrian Griffin went to the free throw line to ice the game. He missed both free throws, a common theme for the Bulls last night. The Bulls only shot 6-15 from the line last night, but Ben Wallace tipped the second miss around for a while and killed some time. Of course, the officials also robbed the Sixers of about 2.5 seconds when they called a timeout. I didn't complain about it when Iguodala's last second shot glanced off the side of the rim.

Washington Wizards 112 Indiana Pacers 96

Jermaine O'Neal returned to the lineup for the Pacers, but it didn't keep them from losing their 11th straight game. Agent Zero had 35 points and 8 assists to help the Wizards push the Pacers further into their free fall. Jermaine O'Neal is sick of the losing, and sick of talking about it too. "This is probably going to be my last interview about what we need to do," O'Neal said. "We need to play defense."

Elsewhere...

• Magic 101 Jazz 90
• Raptors 104 Knicks 94
• Bobcats 111 Kings 108
• Celtics 109 Hawks 88
• Cavs 118 Grizzlies 96
• Rockets 109 Clippers 105
• Pistons 87 Blazers 75

The Basketball Diaries-The Bulls Don't Need No Stinking Low Post Scorer

Chicago Bulls 95 Boston Celtics 87

Ok, well I already covered Tyrus Thomas' night against the Celtics, but did you know his 23 points led the Bulls in scoring? They did. You know who the Bulls second leading scorer was? It was Ben Wallace. No, that's not a typo, I didn't mean Gordon. Ben Wallace had 19 points (on a career high 21 shots) and 16 rebounds. "I like being left open," Wallace said. "Me and B.G. (Gordon) switched roles. I had some good looks. When the guards get doubled-teamed or tripled-team we have to help them out any way we can. I was open and trying to take the pressure off Kirk and B.G. tonight." Oh, and apropos of nothing, Paul Pierce has some lovely breasts.

Miami Heat 88 Utah Jazz 86

The Jazz were basically in control of the Miami Heat all night, but then the fourth quarter came. Miami outscored Utah 28-12 to overcome a 14-point deficit and win their 7th straight game. Antoine Walker put down his cheeseburger and scored 11 of his 13 in the fourth to lead the Heat back. "Antoine was great," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "When the game counted most, he made all his stuff work."

Minnesota Timberwolves 86 Indiana Pacers 81

The Pacers are entering Mavericks territory in my eyes. They've now lost 10 games in a row, and thanks to their incompetence the Knicks might actually make the playoffs this season. Which would mean the Bulls won't get a lottery pick. Bastards. Jamaal Tinsley scored a career-high 37 but it wasn't enough to overcome KG's 30 and 9 to lead Minnesota.

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 104 Sixers 92
• Cavs 124 Kings 100
• Nets 112 Hornets 108
• Spurs 93 Clippers 84
• Nuggets 107 Blazers 99
• Pistons 101 Sonics 97

I Thought the Pacers Traded Stephen Jackson

So let's see, the Pacers traded Stephen Jackson to Golden State in part due to his off the court troubles.

And yes, going into the stands to fight Pistons fans counts as "off the court." It's in the stands.

Well, it looks like Larry Bird has a few more trades to make.

An Indianapolis bar manager has accused two Pacers players of assaulting him early Tuesday morning, according to a police report. However, the three players mentioned in the report denied any involvement when asked by The Indianapolis Star.

Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels are accused of attacking the man at 2:15 Tuesday morning. Keith McLeod, another Pacers player, was also at the bar, as was his cousin, Jeremy King.

No one was immediately arrested or charged. Police are still investigating.

The players were at 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis, when a fight broke out between bar employees and a patron who was allegedly trying to steal coats. Then the fight moved over to where the Pacers were sitting.

Accoring to the police report,

"[The bar manager] stated that Mr. Tinsley, with a closed fist, struck him on the left side of the head, knocking him to his knees. He stated Mr. Daniels and Mr. King also began to use closed fists, striking him in the face."

The unnamed bar manager is also said to have suffered from a broken jaw, and a severed earlobe.

The Pacers players have come out in their own defense, and said they were not involved in the fracas.

"I'm upset that I could be involved in something like this. I had nothing to do with it."
-Jamaal Tinsley

"We were trying to get out of that place. I guess that's when the whole scuffle started. We heard somebody was in there trying to steal coats. Everybody had their stuff already. We were trying to get out of there. I don't know how all that other stuff came about."
-Keith McLeod

"I'm very disappointed my name is being brought up in a situation I am 100 percent sure I had nothing to do with. For me to be brought up is very disappointing when I am totally innocent. Hopefully the truth will come out of it."
-Marquis Daniels

Pacers president Donnie Walsh also released a statement about the incident.

"We are aware of reports of an incident Monday night after the Golden State game allegedly involving members of the Indiana Pacers. At this time, the incident is under police investigation and until the investigation is completed, we have no further comment."

The Pacers host the Sonics tonight, and Tinsley is slated to start. Marquis Daniels may sit out due to a knee injury that totally didn't happen during the fight. As he said, he had nothing to do with it.

Pacers and Warriors Swap Eight Players

It generally has to be a pretty slow news day around here for us to comment on an NBA trade that doesn't involve the Bulls or a superstar like Allen Iverson, but that's what we're about to do right now.

The Warriors are sending Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers for Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell.

The trade will be officially announced later today.

Obviously the biggest names in this trade are Mike Dunleavy, Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson.

Our first thoughts, without any actual analysis, is that the Warriors win this trade. Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson could be very useful to Don Nelson and his all offense, no defense style of play. We're not sure why the Pacers traded their second and third-leading scorers.

Our second thoughts about this trade were, obviously we feel very good for Stephen Jackson. He will no doubt have a much easier time finding strip clubs to shoot up in Oakland than he ever had in Indianapolis.