The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 101 Cleveland Cavaliers 98

It was Bizarro Day in Cleveland on Thursday, apparently. Normally it's the Bulls who are blowing double-digit leads in the second half, but on Thursday night it was the Bulls fighting back from a double-digit deficit. The Bulls overcame a 17-point Cavalier lead in the second half to snap a six-game road losing streak. Larry Hughes led the Bulls with 25 points, but it was the five of Ben Gordon's 24 points at the free throw line late that sealed the deal. "It says a lot about our guys to get down 17 on the road against a team like this and fight our way back," interim coach Jim Boylan said. Really, Jim? What's it say? Now that the team has no chance of making the playoffs and ensured themselves there's no way in hell you'll be back to coach the team next season, they're ready to start playing now?

Houston Rockets 95 Portland Trail Blazers 86

You have to feel bad for the Blazers. After losing on Thursday night, they find themselves at 38-38 on the season, and 15 games out of the playoffs out West. If they played in the Eastern Conference, that 38-38 record would be good enough for the 8th spot. Of course, if Portland played in the East, they'd probably have 10 more wins and be the #3 seed. Anyway, Tracy McGrady scored 26 of his 35 points to lead Houston to the victory, as the Rockets moved to within 2.5 games of the Hornets for the top spot out West. Too bad 2.5 games out of first puts you in sixth place. If the West had a slogan, it would be, "Just like the NL Central, only with good teams!"

Elsewhere...

• Kings 110 Clippers 98

The Basketball Diaries

Phoenix Suns 123 Golden State Warriors 115

The Suns seem to have found the formula for winning with Shaq on the team. What they did on Thursday night was simple, yet effective. They just didn't play him. Instead, the Suns reverted to their former selves and spent all night running up and down the court with the Warriors, and it paid off with a win. Amare Stoudemire had 36 points and 11 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 21 points and 13 assists to lead Phoenix. "We're still in a training camp mode really for the rest of the year," Nash said, "but we're learning. I think we're getting more accustomed to playing both ways and how we can change on the fly and be comfortable and efficient." Baron Davis finished with 38 points for Golden State.

Washington Wizards 101 Cleveland Cavaliers 99

What a day for Caron Butler. Not only was it his 28th birthday on Thursday, but he got to play in his first game in over a month for the Wizards. Butler finished with 19 points with the Wizards, as all five of Washington's starters finished in double digits. "Swag at an all-time high," said Butler, sporting a sharp suit with a purple-and-white tie and matching handkerchief after the game. "Feeling good. Good win. Birthday. Going to go out with the team into the city and celebrate right now." LeBron James scored 25 points for Cleveland, but he missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for Cleveland.

Sacramento Kings 96 Portland Trailblazers 85

It's hard to have a meaningless game between two Western Conference opponents, but it's going to happen once in a while, and Thursday night was once in a while. Ron Artest had 22 points to lead the Kings to a win, but no closer to a playoff berth. "I wanted to come out with energy and try to set the tone," said Artest, who had a season-high six steals. "This time of year you have to fight through fatigue, play hard, and see what happens."

The Basketball Diaries

Houston Rockets 91 New Jersey Nets 73

Make that 19 consecutive wins for the Houston Rockets. Of those 19 wins, the last 10 have come by double-digits which ties an NBA record. Of course the biggest news is that win #19 moves the Rockets to within a game of the Lakers and Spurs in the race for the #1 seed out west. Tracy McGrady led Houston with 19 points, though he only played a little more than two quarters as the Rockets toyed with the Nets all night. "It's impressive, and we keep adding on games," point guard Rafer Alston said. "It's fantastic to have your name mentioned and your team mentioned with some of the best teams, some of the best players to ever play the game. It says a lot about our ballclub."

San Antonio Spurs 107 Denver Nuggets 103

It's not often that the Spurs lose two games in a row, and it's extremely rare that they lose three in a row, so I think it would have been impossible for Denver to come out of this one with a victory. Tim Duncan scored 23 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to help the Spurs pull back into a tie with the Lakers atop the Western Conference standings. Manu Ginobili only had 13 points, but he did manage to hand out 14 assists which are always helpful. "Manu stepped up and was passing the ball great -- finding people left and right," Duncan said. "So we had good efforts all the way around."

Cleveland Cavaliers 88 Portland Trailblazers 80

Oh, look, LeBron had a triple-double. Yawn. It's only the 7th time he's done it this season, so frankly, I feel as if he's just rubbing it in at this point. 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Cavs held on in a tight contest to beat the Blazers on Monday night. Of course, after the game, LeBron showed that "humility" we all love so much. "As an individual, I didn't feel I played particularly well," he said. "If you didn't play well and you have a triple-double, something is wrong. I could have played better."

Elsewhere...

• Magic 123 Hawks 112
• Celtics 100 Sixers 86
• Clippers 99 Heat 98
• Mavs 108 Knicks 79

The Basketball Diaries

Even the Grizzlies are embarrassed about losing to the Bulls

Chicago Bulls 112 Memphis Grizzlies 97

For one night at least, the Bulls played wonderful basketball. They built an early lead, and they held on to it the entire game. Drew Gooden had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Kirk Hinrich had 19 points and 12 assists, but they weren't the only guys to fill up the stat sheet. Lu had 21, Noc had 20, and Ben Gordon dropped in 16. Unfortunately, this all came against the Grizzlies, so it means absolutely nothing. Though it was nice to see Shannon Brown get some playing time in the last two minutes, making a sweet spin move in the lane and finishing it off.

Los Angeles Lakers 117 Sacramento Kings 105

The Lakers kept right on rolling along Tuesday night. Kobe Bryant followed up Sunday's 52 point performance with a paltry 35 point effort, but, somehow, the Lakers were able to pull off their 12th win in their last 13 games. "He really stepped it up, really took it to the hole, really took it personally," said Pau Gasol. "We know what he's capable of doing. I know he can take over games. He's so gifted athletically and skill-wise. He's got a tremendous passion inside him. The way he attacked tonight, it was the kind of effort we need every night." Gasol did what he could as well, adding 31 points, and 10 rebounds. I'm starting to agree with Jeff Van Gundy, who said that the Memphis Grizzlies should be voted league MVP this year for just giving him away.

Phoenix Suns 97 Portland Trail Blazers 92

The Suns have been struggling since trading for Shaq, and that's no surprise, but they were able to end a two-game losing streak against a team they've dominated for a while. Phoenix did all it could to blow a 23-point lead, but held off the Blazers to get their 7th straight win against them. Amare Stoudemire had 22 points, Steve Nash 19, and Grant Hill 18 to lead Phoenix. Shaq scored 6 points and had 13 rebounds. "I thought Shaq made his presence felt, especially in the first half. We used him the way we want to," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's comfortable with that role."

Elsewhere...

• Warriors 135 Hawks 118
• Magic 102 Raptors 87
• Pistons 100 Sonics 97
• Bobcats 109 TWolves 89
• Spurs 81 Nets 70

The Basketball Diaries

Houston Rockets 112 Miami Heat 100

Holy shit do the Heat suck. With their loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, the Heat have now lost 25 of their last 26 games. As Charles Barkley said at halftime, they're tanking it for the lottery pick. The Rockets meanwhile are like the Heat, except exactly the opposite. They're the hottest team in the NBA right now, as Thursday was their 10th straight win, and 14th in their last 15 games. Yao Ming had 23 points, and Tracy MacGrady had 21 to lead a Rockets team that said goodbye to three players through trades earlier in the day. "Everything happens for a reason and we've got to understand that this is a business," Carl Landry said. "We've got to be positive about the situation and try to go on and continue the winning streak."

San Antonio Spurs 100 Minnesota Timberwolves 99

The Spurs have historically been a second half team, so if they're going to break out of their early season doldrums (San Antonio's standard for doldrums being 36-17) it has to start by beating teams like Minnesota. They did just that on Thursday night, but it wasn't anywhere near as easy as it should have been. Manu Ginobili scored 44 points for the Spurs, and they needed every single one of them, including his game-winning shot with 6.2 seconds left. "I always try to get to the rim, but Foye took over my left pretty good and my counter move is always step back right," Ginobili said. "I got lucky there, took a good shot and it went in."

Elsewhere...

• Blazers 92 Sonics 88

The Basketball Diaries

Dallas Mavericks 96 Portland Trailblazers 76

It may be Just Another BS Hallmark Holiday That Costs Men Valuable Beer Money Valentine's Day, but I don't think there's much love in Dallas for Devean George right now. After the Mavs had agreed to a deal with the Nets in which they were going to get Jason Kidd, George blocked the trade because since he's on a one-year deal and would be forced to give up his Bird's rights, he can. George then went out and shot 0-for-11 from the field, though Dallas did still pull out the victory. Also, just because Devean's probably not too popular right now, I think he's actually done the Mavericks a favor, but I'll talk more about that later.

Toronto Raptors 109 New Jersey Nets 91

The Nets on the other hand went into Wednesday night under the impression they were getting half of Dallas' roster, and they sat out Jason Kidd. I don't know that Kidd's presence would have made that big a difference for the Nets, but it sure as hell didn't help any. Of course, it probably didn't help that the Nets came out playing like they knew they had no shot in hell of winning the game. "You would think that we were already on vacation in the first half," New Jersey's Vince Carter said. I'm sure they'll all still cash their next paycheck though. Chris Bosh had 27 points, while Jose Calderon had 22 points and 12 assists to lead the Raptors.

San Antonio Spurs 112 Cleveland Cavaliers 105

In the first rematch of last year's NBA Finals, Cleveland eked out a 2-point win over the Spurs in San Antonio. On Wednesday night, Manu Ginobili made sure it didn't happen again. Ginobili scored 46 points, helped by eight three-pointers, four of which came in the 4th quarter. "I'm just happy he's on my team," Tim Duncan said. "He's unbelievable when he gets rolling like that. The funny part is, I've seen him do it before." LeBron led the Cavs with 39 points.

Elsewhere...

• Magic 109 Nuggets 98
• Sixers 102 Grizzlies 88
• Bobcats 100 Hawks 98 OT
• Celtics 111 Knicks 103
• Pistons 96 Pacers 80
• Hornets 111 Bucks 107
• Lakers 117 TWolves 92
• Rockets 89 Kings 87
• Warriors 120 Suns 118
• Jazz 112 Sonics 93
• Wizards 91 Clippers 89
  

The Basketball Diaries

Portland Blazers 100 Chicago Bulls 97

The Bulls were able to fight back from a 13-point deficit in the second half, making big shot after big shot in the final minutes. Unfortunately, after every shot the Bulls made to pull within 1 or 2 points, the Blazers answered with their own. Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 28 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 18. Thabo Sefolosha had a career high 22 points for the Bulls, who were without both Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. "I think we did pretty good and we played hard and we played with heart," Sefolosha said. "I don't really see what we could have done different." You could have won.

Utah Jazz 118 Denver Nuggets 115 OT

The Utah Jazz are rolling. They won their 10th straight game on Wednesday night thanks to Kyle Korver's 27 point effort and four big free throws in the final minute of overtime. "You win games like this when you are playing well," Korver said. "Our confidence was high going into the game." Deron Williams also did his part, scoring 29 points for Utah, including a three-pointer at the end of regulation that tied the game.

New Orleans Hornets 132 Phoenix Suns 130 2OT

Shaquille O'Neal got to see his new team up close and personal on Wednesday night, and he got an entertaining game to watch. Of course, the Suns lost, but that's what they do against the Hornets. The Hornets improved to 3-0 against the Suns this season, including two wins in Phoenix, thanks to Peja Stojakovic's three-pointer at the buzzer in the second overtime. "A lucky one," Stojakovic said. "I can't say I knew it was going in." Chris Paul had 42 points for New Orleans, though only 2 of them came in the overtimes, and also had 9 assists and 8 steals. Amare Stoudemire had 26 points and 20 rebounds for Phoenix, while Steve Nash had 32 points and 12 assists.

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 98 Lakers 95
• Magic 100 Nets 84
• Spurs 85 Wizards 77
• Celtics 111 Clippers 100
• Pistons 100 Heat 95
• Pacers 103 Knicks 100
• Mavs 107 Bucks 96
• Sonics 105 Kings 92

The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 118 Seattle Sonics 108

Thankfully there are teams in the NBA that are actually worse than the Bulls, because even though they suck, it's still nice to see the team you care about play "well" once in a while. Whether it had to do more with the Bulls, or Seattle, I don't care. They looked decent last night. Joe Smith had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulls, but it was an all around effort. Ben Gordon had 20, Kirk Hinrich had 15 (before leaving with a rib injury), and Ben Wallace had 7 assists and 10 rebounds, 8 of which came on the offensive end. Ben also had about 5 tipped balls to keep the Bulls possession alive as apparently Monday night was the one night a month Ben decided to bring some energy to the game. Can't wait to see what he does in March.

Utah Jazz 110 New Orleans Hornets 88

Apparently Deron Williams took his omission from the Western Conference All-Star team a bit personally. With the Hornets and Chris Paul, who did make the team, in town on Monday night, Deron decided to take his frustration out on them. Williams scored 29 points and handed out 11 assists to lead Utah to it's ninth straight win. "He came out tonight to send a message and I think that message got sent across," said Carlos Boozer, who had 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz as well. For the Hornets, it's their third straight loss.

Denver Nuggets 105 Portland Blazers 103 OT

Allen Iverson was having a very quiet night on Monday, but it didn't much matter at first. The Nuggets jumped out to a big lead during the first half, but blew a 15-point lead in the third quarter. Then Iverson hit a 35-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third, and the light came on. The Answer scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, the most important of which came on a fadeaway jumper in the final second of overtime that gave the Nuggets the win. "I hadn't hit anything all game, and then I make the bomb at the end of the third. I've been around long enough to know to keep on playing and fighting and that's what I did."

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 96 Sixers 91
• Mavs 107 Magic 98
• Raptors 114 Heat 82
• Clippers 103 Knicks 94
• Rockets 92 TWolves 86
• Suns 118 Bobcats 104

The Basketball Diaries

Minnesota Timberwolves 83 Chicago Bulls 67

I didn't bother watching this game, Tuesday night's was enough for me, and judging by the score I have to say I made the right decision. I got a text from Silvio asking me if I was watching it, and when I told him I wasn't I got the reply that 8 minutes into the first quarter the score was 3-2. After the game, Jim Boylan wasn't very happy. "I'm really disappointed in the way we performed in the second half and the way we just, some guys out there just seemed to shut it off," Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan said. "That was disappointing to see. Just shut it off. Stopped playing with energy. They stopped playing with focus. They went into their own little worlds and were acting kind of childish at times instead of doing what we know we need to do against a team like this. We let the game get away from us."

Golden State Warriors 116 New Orleans Hornets 103

A note to Hornets fans: Don't boo Baron Davis. Everytime Baron, a former Hornet, touched the ball on Wednesday night the New Orleans crowd booed him. Baron then responded by scoring 23 points, including a three-pointer late that put the game out of reach for the Warriors. "Nobody likes to get booed," Davis said. "It wasn't really motivation. It was kind of distracting, but at the same time you've just got deal with it. I expected it, so I just dealt with it." Chris Paul had 28 points and 12 assists for New Orleans.

Cleveland Cavaliers 84 Portland Trail Blazers 83

LeBron James just took over the fourth quarter in this game. In the final period, Kind James scored 17 of his 37 points. Portland scored 15. After being blocked twice by Joel Przybilla, LeBron took the game over and it was his reverse layup with less than a second remaining that gave Cleveland the victory. He also took the time to grab 14 rebounds. "I just wanted to take every possession like it was our last and be aggressive," James said. "I don't know when the turning point happened, but we were able to ride the wave and get a win."

Elsewhere...

• Magic 107 Heat 91
• Sixers 112 Bucks 69
• Raptors 122 Wizards 83
• Nuggets 106 Grizzlies 1o2
• Jazz 100 Knicks 89
• Kings 105 Bobcats 91
• Clippers 95 Hawks 88

The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 126 Miami Heat 96

Ahh, nothing like a little in house fighting and the Miami Heat to cure all your problems. The Bulls actually resembled a real basketball team on Wednesday night, as they took down Shaq and Dwyane Wade. It was Shaq's first game back in the lineup since December 26th, but he couldn't help keep Miami from losing it's 11th straight. It was an all around effort for the Bulls, as Ben Gordon scored 24 points, Joe Smith had 23, Luol Deng had 21, and Andres Nocioni had 20. Also, now that he's out of Scott Skiles' dog house, Thabo Sefolosha continues to build his confidence and play more like the impressive rookie he was last season, as he dropped 17 last night. "It was a much needed win after two tough losses," Sefolosha said. "We came out ready to play and did the job throughout the game."

Boston Celtics 100 Portland Blazers 90

Okay, so the people in Boston can stop panicking. The Celtics ended their two-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a victory over Portland. They're no longer an embarrassing 30-6, but a somewhat respectable 31-6. Ray Allen had a season high 35 points, 26 of which came in the second half, and Kevin Garnett had 26 to lead Boston. "It was great to watch. When you've got a hot player like that who's done it so many times throughout his NBA career, you just try to ride the hot hand," Pierce said "We just tried to get him the ball as much as we could. He made plays off the ball, on the ball and finished it with the shot."

Elsewhere...

• Pacers 125 Warriors 117
• Raptors 116 Kings 91
• Bobcats 99 Magic 93
• Knicks 111 Nets 105
• Hornets 123 Sonics 92
• Bucks 87 Hawks 80

The Basketball Diaries

Atlanta Hawks 105 Chicago Bulls 84

I wasn't even aware the Bulls had a game scheduled for yesterday afternoon until I was looking for something to watch during commercials of the Colts-Chargers game. From what I saw of the game, I don't think the Bulls were aware they had a game on Sunday afternoon either. The Hawks jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter, and they never let it go. Joe Johnson had 37 points to lead the Hawks to their first win over the Bulls since April 9, 2004. Luol Deng had 28 points for the Bulls after missing the last three games with a sore Achilles. Also, Joakim Noah was benched for a second straight game after getting into an argument with assistant coach Ron Adams on Friday, only this time it wasn't Jim Boylan's decision. A unanimous team vote felt that one game wasn't enough to teach the rookie a lesson.

New York Knicks 89 Detroit Pistons 65

The Pistons were in New York on Sunday finishing a four-game five-day road trip, and had just won an overtime game in Charlotte on Saturday night. Let's just say you can tell they were somewhat tired on Sunday afternoon. The 65 points Detroit scored on Sunday was only one point more than what would have been the worst offensive performance in franchise history. Zach Randolph scored 25 points to lead the Knicks.

Toronto Raptors 116 Portland Blazers 109 2OT

Please forgive Chris Bosh if he decides not to get out of bed today. You see, after scoring 40 points for the Raptors on Friday night, Bosh played 55 minutes on Sunday and scored 38 points and had 14 rebounds to help Toronto to it's third straight win. "You have to find something in you," Bosh said. "You're not going to have much energy but you have to get it done. You can't run many plays. You have to keep going, get it to your guys and when the ball comes to you, you have to step up and knock down shots or get big rebounds." Brandon Roy had 33 points and 10 assists for Portland.

Elsewhere...

• Hornets 87 Rockets 82
• Warriors 106 Pacers 101
• Lakers 100 Grizzlies 99

The Basketball Diaries

Portland Trail Blazers 115 Chicago Bulls 109 2OT

I know the Bulls lost at home again on Thursday night, but I have to say that the effort I've seen the last few games under Jim Boylan has been a marked improvement over what I saw under Skiles. Unfortunately, they still just don't look that good. Of course, they were playing a Blazers team that had won 14 of it's last 15 games, and now they've won 15 of 16. The game was lost when Ben Gordon spent too much time dribbling at the top of the key in the second overtime trying to get an open look at a three. Ben lost control of the ball, and then Jarrett Jack took off down the court where he was fouled by Gordon on a layup. Jack then completed the three point play, and with it, finished the Bulls. Still, I'd like to take a second to commend Joe Smith yet again. I've done it a couple of times all season, but I just feel guilty because I was so condescending about the Bulls signing him. He's been the most consistent player on this team all year, and last night he blew up for 31 points and 11 rebounds. Oh, and if you want more bad news, Luol Deng didn't play at all in the second half or the overtimes thanks to a strained Achilles Heel. No telling on how much time Lu is going to miss, if any, but that's the last thing this team needs right now.

Denver Nuggets 80 San Antonio Spurs 77

Allen Iverson may have been distracted by feelings of concern for his son, but it didn't show on the court Thursday night as he helped lead Denver to a win over the defending champion Spurs. Iverson's son fell face first off of a stool earlier this week, which gave him a large enough cut on his face that he needed plastic surgery to fix it. Don't worry, though, Lil' Answer is going to be just fine. "He got a big gash up under his mouth," Iverson said. "He was sitting on a stool and what really messed him up was he had his hands in his shirt. And it was a high stool, so when he fell, he couldn't brace it. So he just [smacked the floor]...I mean, when he's around the house screaming and yelling like he usually does, then I'm pretty sure he'll be all right. That was my biggest thing once he started acting like himself again. He's real loud, man." Iverson scored 29 points to lead Denver, but it was the defense of Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby and the rest of Denver's bigs on Tim Duncan during the 4th quarter that won the game for the Nuggets.

Elsewhere...

• Phoenix Suns 104 Seattle Sonics 96

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

Houston Rockets 95 Los Angeles Lakers 93

Kobe Bryant was booed by Lakers fans during the player introductions, but those boos turned into cheers the second he made his first basket. It was the first of many Kobe would make, as he scored 45 points on opening night. Of course, the Lakers still lost. The Rockets nearly blew it though before they were saved by Shane Battier. The Rockets had a 92-80 lead with 1:30 left, and the Lakers went on a 12-0 run to tie the game at 92 on a shot by Derek Fisher. The Rockets then responded with a three-pointer by Shane Battier with 2.5 seconds left. Battier wasn't finished either, as he was smart enough to foul Kobe Bryant the second he touched the ball on the following inbound. So Bryant had to shoot two free throws instead of attempt a tying three. Bryant made the first free throw, and missed the second on purpose, but couldn't gain control of the ball before Rafer Alston knocked it away and the Rockets escaped with a win. "He's hit big shots in the past, so it's good it went to him," new Rockets coach Rick Adelman said of Battier. "We wanted to foul before he [Bryant] took the shot and we definitely did that. He hadn't even turned around yet when Shane fouled him." Tracy McGrady had 30 for Houston, and Yao Ming chipped in 25.

San Antonio Spurs 106 Portland Trail Blazers 97

On the same night the Spurs raised their championship banner, and handed out their shiny new rings, they went out and did what they always do. They won. Tim Duncan had 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead San Antonio. Tony Parker added 19, while Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 8 assists. We already know the Spurs are good though, so I kept my eye on the Blazers most of the night. I don't think they're going to be a playoff team in the West this season, but it's the first time in a while I can remember seeing promise in Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points to help prove he can pick up the Zach Randolph slack. We're only one game into their season and I'm already thinking about Aldridge being teamed up with Oden next season.

Utah Jazz 117 Golden State Warriors 96

The Utah Jazz were the team that finally ended the Warriors unexpected run in the playoffs last spring, and they picked up where they left off last night. All the talk in the West is still about the Spurs, Suns, and Mavericks, but don't sleep on the Jazz again. Deron Williams had 24 points and 8 assists, alot of which went to Carlos Boozer who finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds. Andrei Kirilenko even showed up! AK47 filled the stat sheet with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and five blocks. Baron Davis led Golden State with 25.

Greg Oden Out for the Season

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports, Greg Oden will miss the 2007-2008 season after knee surgery today.

Oden, the 7-footer out of Ohio State, underwent exploratory surgery on his right knee on Thursday in Vancouver. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but Oden, one of the most celebrated young players in years, will be lost for the season.

This is tough news for a great young player, not to mention the whole league. I'm sure Commissioner David Stern was counting on the excitement of Oden's debut as a pro to help folks forget the Donaghy imbroglio.

Guess it's up to a less charismatic Kevin Durant to be the designated bright, shiny object.

The Basketball Diaries - Double Triple Double

New Jersey Nets 120 Washington Wizards 114

Carter and Kidd became the first teammates with triple-doubles in the same game since some two guys in Chicago did it in 1989. The only thing more improbable is that the Nets still almost lost. Wizard's Antawn Jamison, with a season-high 37 points, forced the game into overtime when he hit a 3-pointer with a second on the clock. But New Jersey pulled it out, led by the duesome duo: Carter with 46 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and Kidd with 10 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists. When told of the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen comparison, Carter said, "You can't beat that one. That's nice company."

Dallas Mavericks 86 Portland Trail Blazers 74

The Mavs and their fans are bored with this thing you mortals call regular season. They wanna clinch top seed in the Western Conference and move on. In a pro forma game, notable only for the absence of Josh Howard with an ankle injury, the Mavs did what they needed to do to win. Jason Terry scored 22 of his 29 points by halftime and Devin Harris added 18. Even the fans were pretty lackluster. I don't blame them. Seriously, I'm bored too. These last few days are some kind of test of patience, I guess, before the good stuff happens.

New York Knicks 118 Milwaukee Bucks 113

Who cares, right? I mean, c'mon, it's the Knicks and the Bucks. But actually, it was kinda dramatic. Score tied 99-99. 0.9 seconds left. Milwaukee's Ruben Patterson make a 3-pointer to take the lead. What's Isiah Thomas to do? Surely not go to Eddy Curry, who hadn't even attempted a three-point shot in the last two years. But Thomas was undaunted. "It was designed for Eddy. I didn't think that they would guard him. I've been telling him the whole season I was going to design a play for him to shoot a 3 and win a game for us. I took a timeout and said, 'Now's the time.'" Cue the slo-mo and Chariots of Fire music.... a shot.... and THREE POINTS FOR EDDY CURRY AND THE GAME GOES TO OVERTIME! Curry, with a career-high 43 points, was elated: "[Thomas] asked me if I had one in me and I said, 'Yeah. It felt good leaving my hand. [Dan] Gadzuric challenged the shot so I couldn't see the ball. So I stepped to the side and saw the ball go through. I really couldn't believe it, man. It was incredible." Oh yeah, Knicks won in overtime. Man, that was so good, I need a cigarette.

Other games:

• Indiana 105 Boston 98
• Seattle 106 Utah 103
• Orlando 116 Memphis 89
• Denver 96 LA Clippers 93
• NOOCH 96 Minnesota 94
• San Antonio 112 Golden State 99

Zach Randolph Is Killing The Blazers

A Black Hole

-noun
1. Astronomy. a theoretical massive object, formed at the beginning of the universe or by the gravitational collapse of a star exploding as a supernova, whose gravitational field is so intense that no electromagnetic radiation can escape.
2. Blazers forward Zach Randolph

You know, it's not often you hear announcers just ripping on a player during the course of a game. But last night as I was watching the Bulls play Portland, Stacey King and Tom Dore were having a field day with Zach Randolph.

Sure, they veiled the criticism, occasionally saying something like, "but he's really talented!"

Right after saying things like, "no team can win with Zach Randolph playing more than 35 minutes" or "Zach Randolph doesn't care about winning, he cares about scoring points."

They also referred to him as a black hole, because once a Blazers guard gets the ball to Randolph down low, it will never be seen again. The ball seemingly becomes sucked in by Randolph's mass, and he's unable to pass it. The only solution he has to a situation is to shoot. Whether he's double teamed, triple teamed, or being hit over the head by a steel chair, Zach is going to shoot.

Normally I would take umbrage at any announcer railing so heavily against a player. I don't mind when announcers aren't impartial, but there's only so far they can go before it gets ridiculous.

I say I would normally take umbrage because last night I didn't. I don't really think King and Dore were being insulting to Randolph as much as they were calling the game.

Every single thing they said was true.

Randolph would draw an offensive foul for delivering an elbow to Tyrus Thomas' throat while posting up, and then immediately start yelling at Jarret Jack - his teammate, mind you - for not getting him the ball quick enough.

Throughout the game, Randolph spent more time yelling at his own teammates than he did playing defense.

Oh, and he takes a leave of absence from the team to attend a funeral. Not a big deal, but when that funeral is taking place at a strip club, it could lead to problems.

Even Ron Artest thinks Randolph has problems.

Randolph always has been a problem for the Blazers, and as long as he's there, he'll continue to be one. With a nucleus of young talent surrounding rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers have the personnel needed to build something solid.

Randolph isn't needed, and that's evidenced by the fact that Portland went 3-0 without him over the last week. On offense he completely destroys any fluidity and ball movement, and he just doesn't play defense.

He's an albatross. If the Blazers can't find anybody dumb enough to take him on in a trade this offseason, they should just cut him, pay whatever they would have to, and move on. It's the only way that Portland will see a winner again soon.

The Basketball Diaries - Nice Try, Cleveland

Dallas Mavericks 95 Cleveland Cavaliers 92

LeBron had himself a pretty nice game, scoring 39 points and doing a decent job defending Dirk, but he disappeared at crunch time. King James missed two free throws and two three pointers that could have tied the game in the closing seconds. It's kind of a familiar refrain about James lately. He'll get his, but when they really count he seems to come up short. Dirk on the other hand, does not. He finished with 24 points to give Dallas its fourth straight win. The Mavs continue to cruise through the preseason.

Portland Trailblazers 127 Charlotte Bobcats 90

Not exactly a clash of titans, is it? There is good news on the horizon for Portland, though, cuz if LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy keep playing as well as they are, Portland could be winning a lot of games in the near future. Aldridge had a career-high 30 points while Roy finished with 14 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. Of course, they were playing the Bobcats, so I guess Blazer fans shouldn't get too excited.

Seattle Supersonics 77 Los Angeles Clippers 75

Remember last season when the Clippers were finally on their way to being a good team? Maybe not. Without Shaun Livingston and Sam Cassell the Clippers fell even closer to being knocked out of the 8th seed in the West by the Ray Allen-less Sonics. Rashard Lewis had 31 points to lead Seattle, but back to the Clippers. Without Livingston, I have a feeling that the Hornets are going to pass them up in the standings and knock L.A. out of the playoffs. Of course when you think about it, whoever gets the 8th seed will have to play Dallas, so what the hell does it even matter?