Moderators: Cowology, theBigLip, Snakebites, dVs33
I missed this heave by Allen Iverson, but apparently Yahoo! blogger J.E. Skeets didn't. The Answer threaded a 45-foot bounce pass to Rip Hamilton in the Detroit Pistons' loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Clip in the link above^.He even nutmegs Grant HIll. It's pretty sick. Check out the video below:
The Blazers, among the most active teams in the league as the Feb. 19 trade deadline draws near, have joined Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Toronto, Golden State, and New Jersey among a growing list of teams that have discussed acquiring Stoudemire from the Suns.
Several team executives told CBSSports.com that no clear front-runner has emerged as Suns president Steve Kerr tries to extract the best possible offer for Stoudemire, whose stock has fallen as Phoenix continues to struggle in its adjustment to a new style under coach Terry Porter. The Raptors are "pushing hard," one exec said, but at this point want to pair Stoudemire with Chris Bosh and continue to rebuff any trade proposals that include parting with the team's cornerstone. Bosh has a player option after next season and can become one of the headliners in the 2010 free-agent class.
UPDATE: One factor complicating matters, according to a team executive who has spoken with the Suns, is an apparent difference of opinion between Kerr and managing partner Robert Sarver as far as what Phoenix hopes to get back in a Stoudemire trade. Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Leandro Barbosa are viewed as untouchable in any trade talks with the Suns. It is not known if any of those players is the source of disagreement between Kerr and Sarver.
Carter has insisted it doesn't matter. In fact, he welcomes the time off - from the home game against the Spurs last night when he returned from a one-game strained elbow absence to Tuesday's game in Houston - to just rest and prep for the NetsNew Jersey Nets ' push for the playoffs.
Carter on Sunday missed his first game of the season - the only game he hasn't started - when his elbow was too tender in Orlando. For all the criticisms he gets, Carter has been durable, period. He has missed 12 games since arriving in December, 2004.
A little over a week after leaving the team in New York, Lakers center Andrew Bynum appeared at practice Monday and gave Lakers Coach Phil Jackson an update on his injury.
Bynum suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee Jan. 31 against the Memphis Grizzlies and after getting an exam in New York the next day, he was told he would be out eight to 12 weeks.
Jackson said Bynum informed him that he had flexibility in the knee and he showed off a brace he was wearing. "He said the swelling is minimum right now that he has," Jackson said. "He's walking without aid. So he feels pretty good about what he's doing. We know that this first two weeks is going to be kind of sketchy. As he starts healing, things will start changing a little bit."
Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown, the players acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats for Vladimir Radmanovic, were on the inactive list for Tuesday's game.
Portland throws hat into Stoudemire mix, squashing chances of four-time All-Star landing in Motown : Is Amare headed to Rip City? According to CBSSports.com, the Portland Trailblazers are offering LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless and Raef LaFrentz's expiring $12.7 million contract to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire. If these reports are true, the Pistons shot of acquiring Amare are futile. The Suns are said to be looking for young players, draft picks and expiring contracts. This rumored deal with Portland would satisfy two of the three demands coming from general manager Steve Kerr.
Aldridge, who was a near All-Star this season, is averaging 17.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in 50 games. Considering Stoudemire's averages of 20.2 points and 8.2 boards, Aldridge would be able to step into the Suns rotation and there would be hardly any drop-off. Bayless is a first-year player out of the University of Arizona. He lit up the NBA Summer League to a tune of 29.8 points per game, taking home MVP honors. Until 12 games ago, Bayless was buried on the Blazers bench, but a shoulder injury to Steve Blake has opened up playing time. While inconsistent, Bayless has displayed some of the scoring touch that observers were ranting and raving about in Las Vegas this past summer. LaFrentz has been sidelined all season with a shoulder injury, which doesn't matter much since the key to his inclusion in the deal is the salary cap relief his $12.7 million deal provides.
Phoenix would be foolish not to take this deal. And, quite frankly, it seems like a long shot that Portland would offer this much in exchange for Amare. The Blazers have a solid, young core and departing with two of their developing players seems like too big of a risk for what will probably be a rental player. For the Pistons to match this sort of offer, they would have to send a package of Rodney Stuckey and Rasheed Wallace to the desert, a deal that would irk most Pistons fans.
Reinforcements are on the way for the Nets' depleted front line -- perhaps as soon as they take the court again in six days. "After the break. I think I can play," Yi Jianlian announced Tuesday night, just before San Antonio pummeled his team by a 108-93 margin.
Actually, the only thing the Nets are saying (officially) is that their starting power forward -- still recovering from a broken finger suffered on Jan. 9 -- will work out during the All-Star break and fly with the team Monday morning to Houston.
There, Walsh will determine whether he is ready to play.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn't sure when forward Dorell Wright might return to action, although it could be soon after the All-Star break. Spoelstra said Wright, who resumed practicing with the team over the past three weeks, had his best practice days ago.
''Dorell's had a couple of very good practices, actually probably had his best practice on Friday,'' Spoelstra said. ``He looked in rhythm, in timing and in production and effective while he was out there. What I told him after that was that he's going to need several more of these. We have a lot of depth at that position, but we've already had several changes so far in the season. He's just going to have to continue to work, stay ready and stay sharp. I think he's pretty close.''
Pistons (102) @ BULLS (107)
Blowing big leads has not been an uncommon occurrence for the Pistons this season, but blowing a 15 point lead with 8 minutes to play is a bit much. “It’s like a broken record,” Antonio McDyess said. “We come in here and say the same thing every time. We weren’t supposed to lose that game no matter what. It’s just disappointing.”
The Pistons were in the driver’s seat for most of the game until they fell apart in the 4th and allowed a 17-2 Bulls run to seal their fates in the Windy City. Rip led the Pistons scoring with 30, and was tops in helpers with 8. Allen Iverson did not play because of the NBA flu that’s going around the league.
We’re 50 games in folks. The Pistons are not learning from past game mistakes and they’re still not a very coheisvie group. Joe is going to have to make a decision. Stand pat waiting for O-Ten and endure basketball that is below Piston standards, or roll the dice on a big trade before the deadline.
This is starting to get a little tiring to write… after a third quarter of total domination by the Pistons they managed to once again blow a 15 point lead and the game to the Chicago Bulls. This 107-102 loss to the Bulls is is a textbook example of everything that has been going wrong with the Pistons all season long.
Key Points: How much more can Pistons fans take? From the comments in the game thread and in the chat room, not much. Too much talent to play the way this team is, period. We expect losses, but it’s as if they are playing a game of NBA2K9 and think they can just hit restart when the game isn’t going their way (and yes I admit to doing that). Blame whomever you want, we have a coach who’s clearly in over his head, players that look lost, a system that doesn’t work, an unwillingness to change that system that doesn’t work, a defense that looks brilliant at times and then on the next play looks like a disaster… and to top it off when they can’t score they don’t make an effort to get the ball in the paint for easy buckets! We could go on and on. Think Joe is on the phone right now? 15 down with 8:09 to play…was it Chicago or did the Pistons hand the game to the Bulls? Me…silver platter. Sheed utterly dominating, knocking down shots over everyone, and the Pistons stop going to him. 95 Points off the Bench for Richard Hamilton in the last three games for the Pistons. Rip led Detroit off the bench, but his 30 point game performance was all for nothing. Curry actually calling a play in the last seconds of the game when Detroit has the ball down three? Rip to the hole for the dish to Dyess is ok if it works, and if Rip doesn’t waste most of the clock. Perfect ending to the storm. Richard Hamilton Highlights. 15 careless turnovers. And why the home whites in Chicago? As for those of you who wanted to hear Curry’s post game comments, they were nothing life-altering. He just looks like a deer in headlights who has no idea what to say. Kind of like when you break your mom’s favorite vase and have to own up to it. You stand there dumbfounded for a moment trying to grasp for words. And what happened to the Defense in the fourth quarter? Nocioni was blowing by Tay like he was invisible. The only enjoyable part of the game…..Anytime Joakim Noah can be made to look like a fool by anyone other than himself can always put a big smile on my face. Tayshaun blocked the grin off Noah’s face.
Hustle buzzer beater by Antonio McDyess. All heart all the time. Funny, you can partly blame me for this one….I was writing up the recap as the game was going while the Pistons were domination and had a confident title to the post. Things change in the fourth quarter, I should know that and I’m sorry. Travis Atkinson a Pistons fan and member of Team N4S who was at the game last night in Chicago “Tonight’s game was the perfect storm of problems and mistakes. There’s nothing worse than letting the home team back into a game after dominating them for 40 minutes. I think we actually played better without Iverson and it would have been nice to finish it out. There was a good Detroit contingency there, and we had fun, but man what a bummer. I have little respect for Bulls fans as well, they pulled out the cliche “Detroit sucks” chants at the end of the game.” Get Well Mr. Kerr. “I couldn’t explain this if I tried,” the Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince said. Really Sheed, that’s the shot you take? Really? Do we need to get you a Flava Flav clock for time management? Regardless, Sheed put up a double-double with 20 and 10 and was truly on his game.No lead is safe, ever. At least Curry did the smart thing by starting Afflalo in AI’s place. The Pistons looked pretty good without AI, but in all honestly who do they have that they can go to when they really need a bucket? To us this was a mess, to the Bulls it was a signature win. Tonight at the Palace against a better Atlanta Hawks team should be interesting. Thanks from our friendly Bulls blogger : “Natalie, Pistons wore the whites because the Bulls were wearing their reds for ‘Red’ Kerr. And for you, a random ‘Sheed anecdote I noticed at the game: Him and Scottie Pippen (who was there for the tribute to Red) embracing and yucking it up, no doubt reminiscing over TrailBlazer days of yore.”
Derrick Rose took a shoulder to the chin from Detroit power forward Antonio McDyess in the final seconds of Tuesday's wild comeback victory. He left the court in obvious discomfort, but Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro was encouraged after talking to Rose in the locker room. "He has a little bit of a headache," Del Negro said. "His neck's bothering him a little bit. But I think he'll be fine. They're going to check him out, but I just talked to him and he seemed fine. Just a little shaken up, that's all."
Rose was instrumental in the Bulls' game-ending 17-2 run. He hit a jumper and a driving bank shot to bring the home team within 102-101 with 46.1 seconds left. On the other end, Detroit's Rasheed Wallace tossed up a wild 3-point airball off an errant pass. It appeared Wallace thought the shot clock was about to expire, but it actually read 14 seconds.Down by 1, Rose drove the lane and had his shot blocked by Wallace. Rose caught the rebound under the basket and was savvy enough to find Ben Gordon alone in the corner.
Gordon knocked down a 3-point shot while getting fouled by Rodney Stuckey and the 4-point play sent the Bulls ahead 105-102 with 16.7 seconds left. Detroit turned it over, and the Bulls (23-29) iced the victory. "It wasn't looking good there for a long time, and I'm very happy with the way the guys battled," Del Negro said. "We'll take it."Rose hit 10 of 15 shots for 23 points. Gordon scored 24, while the Bulls' big men had huge games. Tyrus Thomas finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals, while Joakim Noah had 12 points and 16 boards. Richard Hamilton scored 30 off the bench for the Pistons (27-23), who played without Allen Iverson (illness).
Gooden waits a week: Bulls forward Drew Gooden missed his 10th game Tuesday with groin and abdominal strains, but he has a plan for getting back on the court.
He will wait until after the all-star break, then return to practice next week and see if he feels OK or experiences evidence of a sports hernia.
"If I play and it gets worse - I go back to square one after two or three games, because that's what sports hernias do - then I'm going to have to have surgery," Gooden said. "They said if it's a true sports hernia I won't be able to play longer than two, three games without it coming back."
Nuggets guard J.R. Smith got a double dose of good news. On Monday, his girlfriend gave birth in Denver to a baby girl. Tuesday, he was named to replace Memphis' Rudy Gay, who is injured, for Saturday's All-Star dunk contest. "I can't wait," Smith said. "I've got a few things up my sleeve, but I can't really talk about it. It's top secret."
Smith will make his second appearance. He was third in Denver in 2005 while with New Orleans. He's the fifth Nuggets player to compete, with Chris Andersen the last, finishing third in 2004. "I might get some pointers from 'Birdman' because he's got some dunks up his sleeve," Smith said.
Shades Of Gray Of The Night: Everybody wants to make Denver’s resurgence a black-and-white, Chauncey vs. A.I. issue, but can we spread the credit around a little bit? Nene’s career year cannot be undersold. His presence has at the least replaced Marcus Camby, and perhaps his style is an even better fit. Also in the post, while K-Mart’s stats are virtually identical to last year, he looks way more athletic and energized this year. And don’t forget, A.I.’s talent so flummoxed Coach Karl that he was in full on hibernation mode right up until Billups arrived in Denver.
A League Of Their Own Of The Night: Did Antonio McDyess set a hard screen on Derrick Rose or did he steal his Gummi Bears? That was a Glen Davis level bawling performance from Rose, on the bench. Then on NBA TV, Chris Webber was absolutely merciless on the young fella! Comparing him to cowardly lion? Wow. We need a YouTube montage.
The Pistons are a sad, sad shell for their former selves… Hey, Rodney — NEVER. FOUL. THE. THREE. POINT. SHOOTER. That is all… Any team with a bad record should be forced to run. Maybe the team in the lottery with the most possessions per game gets the No. 1 pick?
Clip in the link above^.On today's show, Tas and I give you the lowdown on this weekend's All-Star festivities. Were the selections of KD, Mayo and Johnson the right ones for H-O-R-S-E— er, G-E-I-C-O? Are the Cavaliers happy now? And does new addition J.R. Smith stand a shot in the Slam Dunk Competition? We also select our ASW winners, take a question about the falling Pistons and announce an Adidas prize giveaway.
Atlanta Hawks (30-21) at Detroit Pistons (27-23), 7:30 p.m.
Fresh off a devastating loss, the Detroit Pistons will aim for a quick turnaround when the slumping club hosts the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in last night's 107-102 defeat to rival Chicago at the United Center. The Bulls went ahead to stay on Ben Gordon's four-point play with just 16.7 seconds left to play. Playing without superstar Allen Iverson, the Pistons failed to make a field goal in the final 3 1/2 minutes and suffered their second straight loss. The club is just 5-11 since January 10. Iverson sat out Tuesday's tilt with flu-like symptoms, and it's unclear as to whether the perennial All-Star will be able to return for tonight's game.
Richard Hamilton poured in 30 points for Detroit in last night's setback, while Rasheed Wallace amassed 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Pistons will try to get back on track against an Atlanta team that hasn't posted a victory in any of its last seven visits to the Motor City. The Hawks last defeated Detroit at the Palace of Auburn Hills on December 10, 2004. Atlanta has been playing well as of late, however, and delivered its third win in its last four game with last night's 111-90 home triumph over lowly Washington. Joe Johnson led the way with a 22-point, eight-assist, six-rebound effort. Flip Murray finished with 16 points and Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks, while Mike Bibby contributed 12 points and six assists in his return to the Atlanta lineup. The veteran guard had missed Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a sprained left foot.
Tonight's contest begins a six-game road trip for Atlanta, with the final five matchups coming after the All-Star break. The Hawks are just 11-15 as the visitor this season but have won their last two away from home. The Hawks did hand Detroit an 85-78 loss in Atlanta on December 21. The Pistons had won eight of the nine most recent meetings between the teams prior to that game.
Mike D'Antoni originally planned to move Quentin Richardson back into the starting lineup to replace Wilson Chandler for tonight's game against the Warriors. But Q-Rich arrived at the arena for the game still feeling pain in his chest from a charge he drew on Travis Outlaw in Sunday's loss at Portland.
Richardson had X-rays taken and the results were negative, which ruled out a broken rib. The team is calling it a "chest bruise."
The Warriors are without Andris Biedrins (sprained right ankle) and Marco Belinelli (ankle)
Ken Berger, CBSSports.com: "The Portland Trail Blazers have made a strong play for Amare Stoudemire, discussing a package that includes LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless, and Raef LeFrentz's $12.7 million expiring contract, a person with direct knowledge of the talks told CBSSports.com Tuesday. The Blazers, among the most active teams in the league as the Feb. 19 trade deadline draws near, have joined Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Toronto, Golden State, and New Jersey among a growing list of teams that have discussed acquiring Stoudemire from the Suns. Several team executives told CBSSports.com that no clear front-runner has emerged as Suns president Steve Kerr tries to extract the best possible offer for Stoudemire, whose stock has fallen as Phoenix continues to struggle in its adjustment to a new style under coach Terry Porter. The Raptors are 'pushing hard,' one exec said ..."