by Holly MacKenzie / @stackmack
So the Lakers lost to the Bobcats and narrowly defeated the Bucks last night (104-98). Are we really going to talk about how a team that’s one win shy of 60 isn’t that good? Their defense has looked shaky at best on this trip, but there are a lot of teams who deserve the hate a whole lot more.
Sometimes I think we get spoiled. The Lakers have a ton of things to improve on before the playoffs come, but, they don’t suddenly suck. It’s a long road trip. They lost two games. Perhaps they should be more concerned than they are, but it truly isn’t the end of the world. Yet.
Iverson saying he’d rather retire than be a reserve next season? Charlotte. Larry Brown-A.I. reunion. Please? Raja and Brown. I bet Iverson respects them both even more now than before. That would make me happy. Regardless of where he ends up, he needs to find a place because I am nowhere near ready to give him up yet.
The Raptors won again last night. This time against Orlando, in Orlando. Yup, a healthy Jose makes a huge difference. Still, it’s pretty damn frustrating watching this team look so fluid and smooth on the offensive end after the clunky year we’ve had watching here in Toronto. Yes, clunky. It’s the best descriptor I can think of for a year of bad.
I posted my interview with Raymond Felton over at The Score yesterday. Check it out if you’re a fan of Felton/Charlotte/me.
Okay, about the games last night. In the Milwaukee game, Ramon Sessions had a triple-double in the loss with 16 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Kobe finished with 30 for LA.
Paul Pierce scored 32 for the Celtics in that double-overtime affair as Raymond Felton had 14 points and 12 assists and Gerald Wallace finished with 20 points, 10 boards, 4 steals and a block.
The Raptors got a big win against the Magic, taking them down 99-95 as they sealed the game with a jumper from Bosh and free throws from Marion. Chris Bosh finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds and Marion added 17 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. Dwight finished with 30 and 9 for the Magic.
The Nets bounced back from that embarrassing loss to take down the road-weary Pistons, 111-98 thanks to 19 and 11 from Devin Harris and six players finishing in double-figures including 23 from Keyon Dooling who was moved into the starting lineup as Vince was slid down to the SF position. The Pistons were led by Rip Hamilton’s 29 while Walter Hermann and Rodney Stuckey scored 16 points apiece in the loss.
Josh Howard drew a controversial charge against Mario Chalmers in the Mavs 98-96 victory over the Heat last night. Dirk Nowitzki finished with 30 points for the Mavs while Howard scored 20 and Jason Terry had 13 off of the bench. Dwyane Wade scored 23 for the Heat who also had 18 from Chalmers nd 17 off of the bench from Michael Beasley.
The Suns played the role of spoiler against the Rockets, taking them down 114-109 behind a 25-point, 17-assist night from Steve Nash. Shaquille O’Neal had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Grant Hill added 23 as the Suns shot 54% from the floor in the game. The Rockets were led by Ron Artest’s 28 points while Yao Ming had 20 and 14 and Shane Battier scored 18.
Chris Paul had 30 points, 14 assists and 6 steals as he stole the game away from the Clippers in the final minutes last night. David West scored 19 and Julian Wright had 18. Eric Gordon had 25 points to lead the Clippers as Zach Randolph scored 24 to go with 14 rebounds and Baron Davis added 13 points and 12 assists.
The Warriors took down the Kings, 143-141 in the second straight painful loss for Sacramento. This one went into overtime and the Warriors just escaped. 42 points 9 rebounds and 9 assists for Monta Ellis. That’s a nice line. 50 for Kevin Martin. One 22 shots. That’s nice, too. Jason Thompson added 14 points to go with 19 boards before fouling out and Francisco Garcia scored 22. Kelenna Azubuike had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors.
While each of these teams are most definitely not playing for the postseason, they are still two I enjoy watching. Love watching McCants in Sacramento and of course, my Warrior guys. Even if Nellie’s all over the place with his lineups, the guys he puts out there have something to play for and I enjoy watching them.
I loved this piece on Bobby Jackson that basically said the same. Some guys are all about the game. Those are my favorite.
