Around The Association
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118 | Recap | Box score |
124 |  |
MVP: So many options here. Russell Westbrook goes for 40, Serge Ibaka with a trip ... it's Kevin Durant, are you insane? The man scored 51 points on 28 shots! Who else would it be? Big shot after big shot, simply unstoppable. This was a league MVP performance, not just a game MVP performance.
Defining Moment: Westbrook's 3-pointer bounces straight up in the air and down, as he celebrates with dropping the three-shooters into the holsters. Not a great 3-point shooter, hitting a huge shot using more iron than your cleaners. That's what kind of a night it was for Denver.
That Was ... the game of the year. Denver was relentless and got big performances from everyone, even with so many injuries. OKC basically just had two guys step up, but they stepped up above and beyond and it made for an absolute slobberknocker. Last team swinging won the game. Could be an amazing playoff series in a few months.
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90 | Recap | Box score |
102 |  |
That was ... Electric: US Airways Center rocked like it did when the Suns were the league's most exciting team, and the team reciprocated with an effort reminiscent of their glory days.
MVP: Marcin Gortat was the best big man in a game featuring Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, as the Polish Hammer dominated on his way to 21 points and 15 boards.
LVP: The Lakers' supporting cast. Kobe, Gasol and Bynum received no help once again as their Big Three combined for 65 of Los Angeles' 90 points and no other Laker scored more than eight.
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91 | Recap | Box score |
92 |  |
Defining Moment: When Kevin Love spotted up to take a 16-footer with 9:44 left tonight, he was just 2-for-15 from the floor and hadn't hit a field goal since the first period. But after his humble beginning, he closed the game 5-for-8 for 12 points -- including the winning foul shots.
MVP (Most Valuable Player): While Kevin Love was the story, Ricky Rubio was just stupendous -- setting a career high in scoring with 22 to go along 6 boards, 5 dimes, and (approximately) 15 "wowzers" moments. And from the We Can Build on This department: If the Rickster can nudge the arrow from 'awful shooter' to 'mediocre shooter,' CP3's going to have to start watching his Best Point Guard Alive belt.
That Was ... really fun: Good luck finding two teams who are more purely pleasurable to watch than the Sixers and Wolves. While Sunday's wasn't a particularly clean game -- the 18 total turnovers understate the choppiness -- the multiple lead changes and late heroics from Kevin Love ensured that this one lived up to billing.
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92 | Recap | Box score |
85 |  |
MVP: Ersan Ilyasova. "29 points, 25 rebounds" really says it all. Despite fouling out in the fourth quarter, Ilyasova grabbed more rebounds than all five Nets starters -- combined. Played stalwart defense, hit outside shots, and knocked down his free throws.
That was ... Ugly: The teams combined to shoot 36 percent from the field and 29 percent from deep. Refs called 46 fouls. Only three players shot over 50 percent for the game. DeShawn Stevenson got hit with a flagrant foul. Johan Petro tried shooting off the dribble. This was a rough one.
X-factor: Offensive glass. The Bucks grabbed 21 offensive boards, including a game-clincher by Brandon Jennings with 20 seconds left.
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85 | Recap | Box score |
101 |  |
MVP: Kyle Lowry was unconscious, hitting 7 threes en route to 32 points. He also found time to dish out 9 assists.
That was ... confusing: Patrick Patterson started in place of usual Houston starting center Samuel Dalembert. Was Dalembert injured? No. He came in off the bench just a few minutes into each half.
The X-Factor: Rockets rookie Greg Smith, recalled just today from the D-League, and making his NBA debut, had four blocks by the end of the third quarter. After each, the crowd erupted.
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92 | Recap | Box score |
93 |  |
Defining Moment: Leading by one in the closing seconds, Tyreke Evans reached in and fouled rookie Kyrie Irving with .4 of a second remaining. Irving hit both free throws, giving the Cavs a 93-92 victory.
MVP (Most Valuable Player): Isaiah Thomas, the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft, got his second start of his young career tonight. Opposite him? Kyrie Irving, the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Thomas lit Irving up, barely missing a triple-double, while finishing with 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
That was incredible: With 2.9 seconds remaining in the fourth, second-year big man Cousins rolled to the rim, hit the lay-in and gave the Kings a one-point lead on the road.
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81 | Recap | Box score |
96 |  |
MVP: Rodney Stuckey, who set the tone for the Pistons' aggressive offense (12-of-15 on free throws) and defense (four steals while guarding Ray Allen and Paul Pierce).
Defining Moment: Rajon Rondo throwing the ball at a referee and getting ejected in the third quarter. It didn't define the game, which the Pistons led comfortably at the time, but it will definitely define Rondo's bank account balance.
X-factor: Will Bynum. Bynum, who's not part of Lawrence Frank's regular rotation, played strong on-ball defense -- an unusual event for him -- and scored seven points in his 13 minutes off the bench.
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73 | Recap | Box score |
108 |  |
MVP: David West. He made 6 of his first 7 shots, played excellent defense (3 first-half blocks) and made some great passes while helping the Pacers run away with this one.
LVP: DJ Augustin did nothing good tonight, missing 9 of his 12 shots while recording a hard-to-believe -44 during his 32 minutes on the floor.
X factor: Tyler Hansbrough. He has struggled for weeks now but was his active self tonight and hyper-efficient, scoring 13 points on just 4 shots while getting to the line for 10 FTAs.
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97 | Recap | Box score |
104 |  |
MVP: The turnovers are a red herring. At least for now, Lin is an offensive savant, and the additional defensive attention he's getting isn't slowing him down. Lin finished with an astonishing 28 points, 14 assists and 5 steals (and, of course, seven turnovers) in 45 minutes.
Defining moment: After a solid Dallas defensive stand, Lin snapped off a late-clock 3-ball over Dirk Nowitzki to give the Knicks a 98-93 lead with 2:57 to go in the fourth quarter. Star meet star.
That was ... significant: The Lin-era Knicks passed their biggest test to date with the help of new addition J.R. Smith (15 points). The loss to the Hornets may prove to be an anomaly.
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78 | Recap | Box score |
90 |  |
MVP: LeBron James had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to barely edge the sizzling Dwyane Wade, who had 27 points on 13-of-23 shooting, for the honor. Wade has scored 20 or more points in 10 straight games and the Heat have won nine of them.
That was ... politically correct: President Bill Clinton attended the game and sat next to Heat owner Micky Arison courtside. During the third quarter he was presented a Heat jersey, No. 42, with his name on it.
LVP: Hedo Turkoglu scored just one point and had no rebounds in 25 minutes, part of an overall weak Magic offensive effort.
Mr. Smith Goes To New York
AP Photo/Seth WenigMelo Eyes Monday Return
ESPN New York
Anthony, who has been dealing with the lingering effects of a strained right groin, worked out on the court for roughly 45 minutes before Sunday's game. He told ESPN's Rachel Nichols it will depend on how tight the muscles are Monday morning, but Sunday's workout gave him confidence in his ability to push off and withstand contact.
While Anthony sat, guard J.R. Smith gave the Knicks a boost in his first NBA action since returning from China.
Smith, who signed with New York on Friday after playing in the Chinese Basketball Association during the lockout, scored 15 points in 30 minutes on 6 of 16 shooting, including 3 of 9 from 3-point range.
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