Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013 at 10:51 am  |  95 responses

Post Up: Rising Up

Durant and Westbrook took out the Clips, while Kyrie Irving dropped 40 on the Celtics.

by Daniel Friedman / @DFried615

On a slow night in the NBA, Kyrie Irving put up 40 in a win over Boston, the Pistons outmanned the Magic, and Kevin Durant overpowered the Chris Paul-less Clippers.

The Cavaliers entered the game Tuesday night after having acquired three players and a future first-round draft pick from Memphis earlier in the day. Cleveland picked up Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby in exchange for forward Jon Leuer. The addition of Speights seems to be the Cavs’ short-term answer for Anderson Varejao, who will miss the rest of the season with a blood clot in his right lung. Memphis made the deal in hopes of shedding enough salary to keep Rudy Gay in place, for now at least.

Paul is out nursing an injured right kneecap, he’s played sparingly the past few games, and if the Clippers are going to compete it’s obvious they’ll need their leader suited up. Although the Clippers are 3-1 without Paul this season, they’re 29-9 with him on the floor.

Cavaliers 95, Celtics 90

Kyrie Irving has proved time and again that he’s clutch coming down the stretch. Irving scored 15 points in the fourth quarter dashing to the basket countless times en route to the Cleveland Cavaliers (11-32) second straight win at home.

Irving finished the game with 40 points and 5 assists while setting a career high in field goals made, shooting 16-for-24 on the night. Tristan Thompson added 21, Dion Waiters put up 7, and Alonzo Gee notched 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Rajon Rondo led the Boston Celtics (20-21) with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Kevin Garnett scored 16, and Jared Sullinger added 12 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. Paul Pierce struggled offensively, scoring only 12 points on 3-for-15 shooting.

The game came down to the final minute of play, with Irving pulling out the win for the Cavs. With 53 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Cavs up 88-87, Irving got the feed from Thompson and made the driving layup on Pierce with no real resistance from the Celtics. Irving would go on to score the final 7 points for the Cavs, securing the win for the struggling Cleveland club.

Pistons 105, Magic 90

The Detroit Pistons (16-25) pulled away from the struggling Orlando Magic (14-27) in the third quarter and never looked back. The Pistons outmanned the Magic with their trio of Jason Maxiell, Andre Drummond, and Greg Monroe. All three scored in double figures.

Maxiell and Drummond both notched 11 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Monroe put up 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Brandon Knight led the Pistons in scoring with 18 points. Will Bynum came off the bench with 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.

JJ Redick paced the Magic with 26 points on 9-for-10 shooting, hitting 5-of-6 from three-point range. Jameer Nelson chipped in 14 points, 9 assists but shot an abysmal 2-for-10 from downtown.

The Pistons edged the Magic in both offensive rebounding (16-6) and bench scoring (48-29) which made all the difference.

Bucks 110, 76ers 102

Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova combined for 52 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks (22-18) to a 110-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers (17-25) at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee Tuesday night.

Despite edging the Bucks in bench scoring 47-26, the 76ers weren’t able to fight back in the fourth quarter. Starting out down 71-83, Philly couldn’t cut the deficit to any lower than five with Jennings and Monta Ellis securing the lead with clutch free throws down the stretch.

Ilyasova led the Bucks in scoring with 27 points, Jennings added 25, and Ellis contributed 18 points and 10 assists in the winning effort. Mike Dunleavy had 11, and John Henson chipped in 9 off the bench. The Bucks shot 51.9 percent from the floor, almost ten points higher than their season average of 43.2.

Thunder 109, Clippers 97

The Los Angeles Clippers (32-10) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (32-9) met up in a battle of the best out West in the Staples Center. With the Thunder and Clippers sitting atop the League standings, it seemed like the perfect matchup on a slow day in the NBA.

But Los Angeles entered the game shorthanded, missing their star point guard, Chris Paul, who has been out nursing a right knee injury. Without Paul, the Clippers would need to step up in the absence of their leading man. Unfortunately, Blake Griffin was the only one to hear the call to arms, registering a team-high 31 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists on the way to a 109-97 loss.

Kevin Durant led the way for the Thunder with a game-high 32 points to complement his 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Russell Westbrook added 26 points, 6 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka dropped 17 while grabbing 9 boards off the glass.

After starting the game close through the first half, the Thunder began to pull away in the second. Entering the third quarter the score was 49-45, close enough for the Clippers to sneak their way back in. But the Thunder managed to connect on 15 three-pointers in this game, with a barrage coming in the fourth quarter. OKC shot 55.6 percent from downtown, and also lit it up from the field, shooting 52.6 percent.

Defensive lapses and poor shooting doomed the Clippers in this one. Los Angeles shot a putrid 25 percent from three-point range, while only connecting on 46.4 percent from the field. Jamal Crawford, who added 14 points off the bench, shot only 6-for-18 from the floor, while Eric Bledsoe chipped in 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Chris Paul is listed as day-to-day and has only missed four games due to injury this season.

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  • Max

    @ The fried man, reread your first line.
    -
    Andre Drummond needs to get starter minutes.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Kevin Durant is probably definitely a pretty good basketball player

  • Max

    And Blake Griffin is finally playing like Blake Griffin again.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    I’ll be reasonably pissed if the 8th place Boton Celtics get 3 all stars

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    eventually…at this point it doesn’t really matter, they aren’t going anywhere anyway

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    It would be pretty funny if lightning struck and LeBron ended up back in
    Cleveland in 2014 playing with Kyrie, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters
    and Alonzo Gee.

  • Max

    But it will help his improvement and I love to see him play.

  • LakeShow

    Zero chance. LeBron is never going back to the Cav’s.
    But it is fun to think about.

  • LakeShow

    The best!
    :D

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    even sarcastically, you are drunk.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Junior-Taylor/100003121138419 Junior Taylor

    It’s obvious that CP is the engine that stirs the Clipp’s drink. Those cats (except for BGriff) look lost out there without him.
    Oh…I think we all overrated EBled a little bit too much. I don’t think the guy is ready to be a starting PG on a competitive team just yet.
    ABradley is still among the top-5 perimeter defenders despite Irv dropping 40 on him.
    Rondo is the most overrated defender in the L.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i would be too if i still cared about the All-Star team (i secretly do).

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    I had the same exact observation of the Clippers last night.
    .
    EBled is definitely not ready to be a starter. He’s a great reserve. Nothing more, yet.
    .
    How is Rondo not guarding Irving indicative of him being the most overrated defender in the L? I don’t understand how everyone jumps to this conclusion, or mentions it, in a game where he didn’t do anything wrong defensively.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I’m not willing to say never. Wade will be 32. A step or two slower. The Heat will probably have another championship or two. He still has that castle in Ohio that he lives in during the summer. He has to at least give it some thought if he opts out and the Cavs have enough money to go after him.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Junior-Taylor/100003121138419 Junior Taylor

    When did I say that? I came to that observation by watching game after game of him gambling and going for steals while his assignments blew past him. He is too much of a gambler to be considered a great defender in my eyes.

  • LakeShow

    I never thought Bledsoe should start for a team. Just that he is the ultimate backup. He completely changes the pace, and energizes your team off the bench. Exactly what you want out of your reserves. He’s great against 2nd units.
    Rondo has taken a couple steps back defensively… I know why.

  • LakeShow

    NEVER

    lol

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    We’ll see bro.

  • LakeShow

    I know everyone loves per 36 numbers :)

    Bledsoe per 36 mins this season is averaging:

    16 points-5.3 rebounds-5.1 assists-3 steals-1.3 blocks

    Those are pretty beastly numbers even if not a true telling of starter production. Especially the 1.3 blocks. When was the last time a PG averaged those kind of block numbers?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Pardon me for the rondo thing, you are just the third person I’ve seen say that today. So it seems like people are jumping to conclusions based on something that has nothing to do with Rondo. My bad.

  • RKJ92

    I think LeBron will go back they have more pieces then an aging Miami, and as BronBron has always put it “I came here to win championships” so I don’t see any reason why he should stay; he has no loyalty owed to the city of Miami anyways, and Cleveland is his home.

  • LakeShow

    Cleveland is not his home. He feels no affection for Cleveland.

  • Slick Ric

    Dudes on here saying KD isn’t even close to lebron….SMH

  • LakeShow

    I dunno man. The gap has been closed.
    I’m feeling pretty sober right now, and Durant is on LeBron’s level. I think above it by a hair line.

    Durant: 29.5 ppg on 18.5 FGA
    LeBron: 26.3 ppg on 18.5 FGA

    3ppg more on same FGA’s.

    Durant: 52%-42%-91%
    James: 55%-40%-73%(2nd worse FT percentage of LeBron’s career)

    Durant: 1.3 blocks per game. More than James has ever averaged in his career.
    Both are at 1.6 steals a game this year.

    Durant has been very clutch all year. I think he has had the better season by a margin, and I think he’s officially closed the gap on Bron overall. There are things each can do the other cannot, but Durant is improving at a drastic pace.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    PALEASE SHUT UP.
    .
    You want me to use every LeBron argument you ever used in defense of Kobe for this? Or you want me to use all of the stuff you just left out?
    .
    LeBron is better. That is clear. Talk to me in June, just like last year when you had this same, completely wrong, argument.
    .
    We all know that after a guy wins, it’s different. LeBron just won. Things are different. Except, statistically, they aren’t. He’s still better in every way but one, scoring.
    .
    And don’t ever show me blocks per game like that changes anything with a small forward. LeBron is a much better defender. Durant is good, but let’s not paint the sky poop brown. Blocks per game mean nothing between LeBron and Durant. You should know that, I know everybody else does.
    .
    This is not to say Durant isn’t improving, but to act like he’s better then the guy who dominated him 7 months ago and is improving himself is foolish. Seriously, you know damn well there is no argument for Durant being better then LeBron because of 41 regular season basketball games.
    .
    If you want to phrase your argument in another way, i’ll entertain you. But to say Durant is BETTER than LeBron James right now is f*cking outrageous. it really really is.

  • http://twitter.com/thursti_tyht Thurstian Tsui

    Somewhat unrelated but the argument can be made now that the Thunder have a better supporting cast around KD

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    maaaaan, i made that argument last year. especially when Wade was unhealthy, it really wasn’t close. LeBron just makes his teammates a lot better, and allows them to play to their strengths, which also allows LeBron to play to his. While Durant plays to his strengths no matter what his teammates are doing, and has a much lesser effect on their performances either way.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    never. he’s basically Dwyane Wade playing PG defensively. (but way better on the ball).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    exactly…no matter how much I pretend to hate it..I still know deep down I care and will be watching the whole all star weekend lol

  • LakeShow

    Durant got dominated by LeBron? I missed that…

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Normally, when a player has one of the best finals of all-time and wins the series 4-1, that is called Dominating.

    .

    Since i’m not a fan of you arguing stuff that i know you wouldn’t argue would it be someone else, let’s just use this as an example.

    .

    Michael Jordan dominated Clyde Drexler (and the whole Blazers team) in the 1992 finals. (edit: if you don’t like this example because of Drexler’s shooting % we can use 1993 with Barkley instead)

    .

    http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1992_finals.html

    .

    LeBron James dominated Kevin Durant (and the whole Thunder team) in the 2012 finals

    .

    http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_2012_finals.html

  • LakeShow

    Well, I accept that he had the better finals, it’s just dominated is hardly the word to be used.
    You and I disagree.
    Allot of people agree with me, allot agree with you.
    I didn’t plan to change your opinion, I just think that there is a solid argument to be made.

  • LakeShow

    Durant: 30 ppg- 6RPG- 2 apg- 1.4stl-1.0 blk 55% FG’s – 40% 3 pt.fg

    James: 28 ppg- 10 rpg- 7 apg- 1.6 stls -.4 blk 47% FG’s – 18% 3 pt.fg

    Comparable to me. Not quite dominated.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    there isn’t though an argument for Durant right now. Like none. He’s a better scorer. You can’t call him more clutch. You can’t say he has a more profound effect on his teammates. You can’t call him an equal defender. You can’t call him a better offensive player. (i mean you can, but there is no basis for those arguments). He scores better. But he doesn’t score better at a volume high enough or efficient enough to make up for the vast difference between them everywhere else. Especially when we saw those differences, talked about those differences, in the finals, just 7 months ago.
    .
    and you know by saying that to me you are eliciting an argument, whether that was your intention or not.

  • DeMacksBack

    I totally agree with you. A lot of people get stat hungry and think you can base everything off of stats. I admit stats are very important for the game, but sometimes studying and watching the player will be more knowledgeable than stats. But I will say KD is a much better shooter, even though LeBron has improved his shooting since entering the league. I will also go as far to say that LeBron could be a better scorer than KD. I know KD scores more, but the crazy thing is LeBron chooses not to score and is more worried about his teammates showing their skills.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    The Heat 4 wins, the Thunder 1.

    .

    The best players on their teams.

    .

    The margin of victory for the Heat in the series was…..7.75 points.

    .

    And the difference between 30 points and 2 assists compared to 28 and 7 is…………8 points.

    ..

    whatever you want to call it, LeBron being better than Durant is why Miami “dominated” “won convincingly” in the last 4 games. The difference between the teams, was the difference in the best players.

  • LakeShow

    The difference between 18% and 40% and 47% and 55%…

    Durant doesn’t play PG. If he did (like LeBron does) he would have probably 5-7 assists per game(with a sh*t ton of TO’s mind you).

    So what i’m trying to get you to realize is that Durant doesn’t need to get assists to be as good a player as LeBron is. He isn’t asked to play PG(thank god). He has a top 3 PG on his team. He shouldn’t/doesn’t need to get more than 5 assists on average.

    The Heat were a better team in that series despite the Thunder being the better team on paper. Their defense was amazing and guys hit critical shots after critical shots.

    I mean we can go back and forth, like I said, i’m not looking to convince you, I just know I have a legitimate claim, whether you think so or not.

    I understand the you highly value players who can do it all like LeBron. But what i’m saying is Durant is allot better than him at putting the ball in the hole in the playoffs. Which I highly value.

  • LakeShow

    The argument was elicited.
    Changing you mind was not my intention is what I said.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    no, just because someone doesn’t need to do something because he has teammates who can, they aren’t irrelevant. lol, that’s so outrageous. If LeBron has a greater effect on his team because of his passing ability, that ability makes him a better player. Plain. And. Simple.
    .
    what you need to realize is, it’s ok to not be the best player in the world. you can still win championships. Durant doesn’t have to be better than LeBron (thank god) to win championships. Durant is a better scorer then LeBron, yes definitely. He’s not a better basketball player. This is not arguable with logic. It isn’t. Whether you believe it to be or not. Acting like a part of basketball is not important because a guys teammates can do it for him, is illogical. If Durant was on the Bulls right now, what. the. f*ck. would you say when his team DOES need him to pass? That he is no longer a better basketball player? —- basically, you are either arguing Durant is only better than LeBron because of his teammates, or he isn’t better, but you don’t have an argument so this is what you are going with. There really isn’t any other way around it.

  • RKJ92

    You know what I mean.. Akron man! and it’s not about affection because if you read what I said again he’s not about loyalty he’s about winning championships, and looking in the future Cleveland has more pieces and talent then Miami does by far, not to mention another lottery pick this year aswell.

  • LakeShow

    And Durant’s ability to score from anywhere is more beneficial to his team than LeBron’s scoring ability is to his.

    They wouldn’t need Durant to distribute at a high pace on the Bulls team either. ( I know that’s not your point, but it’s mine) The Bulls have a PG in Kirk. They also have a great post distributor in Noah. Yes Durant is not capable of playing PG like Bron. No he doesn’t need to be able to play PG like Bron to be a better basketball player than him.

    Just because LeBron’s team needs him to distribute the ball, doesn’t mean that he is a higher quality player than Durant who’s team does not need that.

    Lebron is equally better at defense as Durant is at scoring the ball. Which puts them on the same level to me and allot of people.

    Once again, not looking to persuade your thoughts. Just as you should realize your not going to do with mine. I truly believe and think I have reasonable proof that Durant is every bit as good as LeBron is today.

  • LakeShow

    I’m not surprised you agree.

    Allot of people do.

    That’s what’s most upsetting. I realize LeBron has a legit stake in the current best player argument, others don’t realize that Durant does too.

    I’m not opposed to you saying that LeBron ‘could’ be a better scorer than Durant. But he’s not, just like Durant is not a better play maker.

  • LakeShow

    No, it won’t happen. I’ll never comment a day again on SLAM if Bron goes back to that sh*t hole. No offense Cleveland.

  • LakeShow

    It’s sad isn’t it.
    Really smart dudes too some of them.
    Some people just can’t SEE the game the ways others see it.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    You are completely acting like passing ability is irrelevant. You can’t honestly think i’m going to take you seriously if you think the differences between LeBron and Durant are defense and scoring. Seriously, you are being stupid.

    .

    Durant score 3 more points a game then LeBron. 3!.LeBron gets 3 more assists. That’s a MINIMUM of 6 points.

    .

    “No he doesn’t need to be able to play PG like Bron to be a better basketball player than him.” – Sure, but he better score more then 3 f*cking more points if you want to make that point. Which, since he doesn’t, is f*cking stupid.

    .
    and the difference between their scoring ability and their defensive ability is not that close. LeBron is a much much better defender, he’s much more versatile. .
    .
    And if you haven’t noticed, as of 1 year ago, you were arguing Kobe Bryant was still better then LeBron. It’s not like your opinion of LeBron has ever been very rational.

  • RKJ92

    LOL! you just killed me ahaha

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    the difference is, Durant is barely a better scorer (literally, in real life), while LeBron is a way way way better playmaker.

  • Max

    NEVER SAY NEVER!

  • RKJ92

    Ok Justin calm down.. lol

  • RKJ92

    Cosign!

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