The Links: Maggette pukes, Ray-Ray gets a mohawk, Lakers roll

by Lang Whitaker

Didn’t get to watch much NBA action last night, because by the time I got home from Jersey there were only three games still being played on TV: Sonics/Blazers, Lakers/Warriors, Suns/Clippers. The Suns looked like they had that game in hand, so I went with Lakers/Warriors to see this new Golden State squad.

And wow, the Lakers did it again, outrunning and outhustling an opponent to go to 2-0. And according to the AP game story, check out what happened after the game…

Ronny Turiaf had just buttoned his shirt after the best game of his NBA career when his cell phone rang.

Kobe Bryant couldn’t travel to the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest victory, but the injured star clearly didn’t miss a minute of Turiaf’s breakout performance.

“I told you! I told you!” Turiaf said into the phone, breaking into a wide grin. “You’re crazy. Thanks for the advice.”

Hey, hey, hang on now…I didn’t call Kobe crazy; that was Turiaf. And check out the Lakers’ next four games: vs. Seattle, at Seattle, vs. Minnesota, at Portland.

Could the Lakers really start 6-0 without Kobe?

And can we just not talk about that Hawks game last night? Ugh.

Anyway, lots of good stuff today…

QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Love it or hate it, I’m going to continue to play that way. I know the coach puts me out there to be Troy Hudson.” — Troy Hudson.

“Troy Murphy was just terrible…maybe I should’ve anticipated that. (Mike) Dunleavy was a disaster — didn’t rebound, didn’t guard, didn’t do anything. Baron Davis, as much as he tried to do some things, was a negative. He pounded the ball too much, he didn’t run the break, he didn’t move crisply.” — Don Nelson.

“I didn’t know where to go. It was one of the first times in my coaching career I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what play call to make. I didn’t know what lineup to make. Whatever I did, whatever I tried was just wrong.” — Don Nelson.

“Even if I don’t, I got enough now that I will be fine. I won’t be a spring chicken, but I can still get a good deal. The bottom line is, even if I get in a car accident, I am set.” — Nick Collison, on his contract extension.

“If I’m ever so fortunate to be part of a championship team, they can keep the ring, and I’ll keep the memory, and we’ll call it a day. I’ve never understood, ‘I want a ring.’ Just give me the memory, and you can donate the ring.” — Jeff Van Grumpy.

“This year I may have to invest in extra security when I come to Washington.” — Damon Jones.

ANDREA BARGNANI: [asked about his pregame meal] “Some fruit, some marmalade, some bread.”
REPORTER: “Orange marmalade?”
BARGNANI: “I don’t remember.”

THE LINKS…
• The weirdest thing today on the internet is right here.

• There was a Troy Hudson sighting in Minnesota last night. And did you know the Wolves have won 12 home openers in a row?

• Ray Allen apparently rocked a mohawk for the season opener last night, although photo evidence seems to prove otherwise.

• Great story about Jason Richardson here

Richardson received a backhanded compliment from Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, who was asked by ESPNEWS to name his favorite dunker of the last 10 years. Wilkins picked Jason Richardson — but then identified him as playing for the Seattle SuperSonics.

There’s also a thing in that previous link about how the Warriors have instituted a mandatory one-handed free throw shooting style. For everyone? I didn’t notice last night…gotta keep an eye on that.

• Corey Maggette played after suffering from food poisoning all night. He says his stomach was “tore up.” From the floor up?

• Tyrus Thomas is going to be out until the Bulls can get him a mask to fix his broken nose.

• Magic rookie James Augustine accidentally washed his pants with $300 and a cellphone in the pocket.

• Damon Jones has t-shirts that read 4.8, the time on the clock when he hit that first-round game-winner.

• After being blown out by Chicago, the Heat players asked that they be allowed to practice.

• Heckuva game by young Dwight last night.

• One year after being sent to the D-League, CJ Miles started at shooting guard for the Jazz last night and played well.

Here’s what happens when people who don’t know a lot about basketball try to write something about basketball. Where the heck is Jewelz a.k.a. Allen Iverson? That was probably the most famous rap music flap related to the NBA in the last decade. And where’s B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret?