Mike Harris. Who? Mike Harris.
T-Mac on Dime #2At this point the Rockets are just grabbing guys off the street and getting maximum production out of them. Last night, while trying to extend the winning streak to 21 games, Houston unleashed Mike Harris on the Bobcats. Harris scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, getting Big Baby-style interior buckets and drawing fouls, and hitting some big free throws to help the Rockets hold off a resilient ‘Cats squad. One time, though, Harris got a little too happy and tried to put Emeka Okafor on a poster. ‘Mek promptly sent his offering to the frank man … No one on Houston’s roster is putting up huge numbers outside of T-Mac, and even he isn’t quite matching Kobe/LeBron digits on a consistent basis. (He put up 30 points and 7 boards last night.) That said, everyone on the Rockets is playing out of their minds during this streak, which means every night it’s a different handful of guys stepping up and making big plays. Last night Shane Battier made the smoothest, most athletic play we’ve seen him make in years: after missing a three in the corner, Battier followed his shot and scooped up the long offensive board along the baseline, then scored on a layup (plus one) that was all basically in one motion … On one of Charlotte’s last-chance possessions, Okafor (23 pts, 9 rebs) went up and got swatted by Dikembe Mutombo (1 pt, 7 rebs, 4 blks) to essentially end the threat. The Houston crowd went nuts, and Deke stood there waving the finger for a good 10 seconds without even bothering to run back on offense … Sign in the crowd: “Charles [Barkley] we got something for you: 21-0.” The zero was made up of actual donuts … Once again the Rockets fans and announcers were acting like they won a championship after the final buzzer. Winning 21 straight is an amazing feat, but it was the BOBCATS last night, people. We just hope the Rockets themselves aren’t emotionally spent and Sunday’s game against the Lakers is one of the best of the year … So of course the Lakers needed to lose in New Orleans last night to make Sunday’s game a matchup of 45-20 L.A. vs. 45-20 Houston. Pau Gasol went down in the first quarter with an ankle injury, then David West hurt himself in the fourth. Chris Paul also tweaked an ankle in the final few minutes, but did his best Isiah impersonation and closed out the game on the floor anyway. CP finished with 27 points and 17 dimes in the win, while Kobe scored 36 in the loss … The game was a series of individually dominating performances. At one point Kobe dropped 13 points in a row, right after CP led a big Hornets run … It’s like it’s never over when you play the Spurs until the clock shows all zeros. Down big in the fourth quarter in Detroit, Tony Parker led a 13-0 run that grabbed them the lead in the late stages, but Rasheed all of a sudden started hitting shots to make it a back-and-forth affair. Parker (26 pts, 7 asts, 3 stls) was DESTROYING Chauncey Billups during the comeback, giving him pull-up jumpers and spin-cycling him off the dribble while challenging whatever big man stood in the way. Eventually the Spurs announcers were literally clapping for Parker … The Pistons held on for the win, though, mostly due to Rip Hamilton (25 pts). With 30 seconds left and Detroit up by one, the Spurs needed a stop. Hamilton ran his usual curl to the elbow, getting a step on Parker. TP tried his best to grab Rip and tie him up before he got the shot off, but all he did was allow Rip to get a three-point play. Rip knocked down his free throws the rest of the way and closed it out … More ridiculousness from Sean Elliott. The San Antonio broadcast had an advertisement where you can sign up if you want to propose to your woman during a Spurs home game. Segueing back to the game at hand, Elliott cried, “I’m about ready to propose to Tony Parker if he wasn’t already taken!” … Of course the Spurs were without Bruce Bowen, the staple of their lineup whose streak of 500 consecutive games was stopped when the League suspended him because of this. No matter whose side you take, Bowen or Chris Paul, it seems kind of extreme to suspend anyone over it. But CP is one of the NBA’s most marketable commodities, so you can’t mess with him like that. If Bowen had done the same thing to Jannero Pargo we’re not even discussing this … Kelvin Sampson (or some guy who looks EXACTLY like him) was sitting behind the San Antonio bench. That’s the second time we’ve seen Sampson at an NBA game since he left Indiana. Is he interviewing for jobs? Might as well; the guy knows his X’s and O’s and knows talent, plus you can’t get into recruiting trouble in the pros. Just keep him away from Joe Smith and a negotiating table … With Carlos Boozer (17 pts, 12 rebs) and Kevin Garnett (15 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asts, 4 blks) playing to a standstill, Celtics/Jazz came down to Deron Williams simply beasting Rajon Rondo for 32 points and 8 dimes. Deron was on “Go” all night, playing super-aggressive and getting to the line 18 times. He made 17 of them …Semifinal Night at the Big East Tournament, and the Dime crew was there. One reason to continually hit up the Big East tourney if you’re based in New York: the electricity in the building blows Knicks games out of the water. It’s really not comparable. Even the drunks at the college games are happy drunks, as opposed to vicious/depressed drunks at the Knicks games … During halftime of the Georgetown/West Virginia game, they brought out five fans to play musical chairs with beanbag chairs. So for the first three eliminations, this kid who looked like a Baby Pitino was getting some insane calls by the judges. Every time the music stopped he was the last one to make it to a seat, shoving his butt onto whatever sliver of space he could find on someone else’s beanbag. And yet every time, the person who rightfully should have stayed in the game was given the boot. It was like D-Wade in the ’06 Finals all over again. Finally in the last round — where he actually might have legitimately beat the girl to the seat — the judges ruled him out. Justice, baby … As bad as Roy Hibbert was on the first day of the tourney, he was that good last night. Hibbert dominated WVU, especially torturing Mountaineers center Jamie Smalligan and finishing with 25 points and 13 boards. Smalligan only played 12 minutes partially due to foul trouble, but also because whenever he was on the floor the Hoyas would constantly pound the ball into Hibbert get two points out of it … Random Moment #1: After the G’town game, some of us were leaving MSG via a long ramp that leads to a garage exit. You hardly ever see people on this walkway who aren’t MSG employees, but on our way down the ramp we bumped into Len Elmore, popping Reese’s Pieces like they were Vicodin and he was a stressed-out pop star … Random Moment #2: Running into the Hoyas’ mascot halfway undressed in the hallway. Let’s just say it’s not every day you see a shirtless, hairy, chubby, pasty White guy who looks like he could either be 18 or 28 with a huge fake bulldog’s head laying next to him at Madison Square Garden … We’re out like Bowen …
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March 15th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Str8baller says:
FIRST BITCHES….
I’m out like hatin on the Rockets
March 15th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Bank says:
way to represent str8baller, let them know 1 time
SECOND
March 15th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Bank says:
play of the year was during the IU MINN game, just sayin
March 15th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Utes Fan says:
Utah gives Boston just it’s fifth home loss all year and all it gets is one sentence? That game was worth at least a paragraph by itself.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Borgs says:
Seeing Shane Battier play like he has while helping the ‘superstar’ carry his team to so many consecutive wins only strengthens the argument against his Team USA omission for the Olympics. There are enough scorers on the squad, they could do with a guy like Shane whom, at the very least, is a superior option to Tayshaun Prince.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:04 am
East coast says:
Houston is on fire now. I personally did not see them winning so many games, however they are playing some good ball. But they still are not going to win the whole thing despite that every team with the 4 longest winning streaks like this have won the championship.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:17 am
East coast says:
I went to nba.com and i saw who they played, i give them a little bit of credit. They have played cle 3 times, mia, min, ind, sea, gsw, mil, atl, sac, njn, mem, den, mil, chi and those teams are just not any good. but 21 is hard to do. So does Houston really deserve all this credit and hype for beating some scrub teams. Can anyone else say easy schedule.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Maynard says:
The fact that the NBA has cultivated so many subpar teams is not the Rockets’ fault, they have to play who shows up. That said, you conveniently left out New Orleans (twice) and at Dallas, who is otherwise 29-3 at home. It’s not like Denver or Golden State are lousy either.
Good post. I’d rather be at the Big East than a Knicks game too. Actually, any NBA game.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Sfeffen says:
Does Andre Iguoudala really need such upper arms??
http://www.squidoo.com/AI2
March 15th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Amar says:
wow, rockets beat bobcats, hornets beat lakers team who is down two bigmen (gasol and bynum), and jazz (a bad road team) goes into boston and takes one from the best team in the L on their home court . . . but one sentence?
okur (who has been balling lately) was one board alive from continuing his crazy double double streak. deron was 8 assists shy from continuing his (check out his month of march stats).
Jerry Sloan killing anyones’ fantasy value:
AK — 24 mins — 5 shots, 8 points
Brewer — 24 mins — 8 shots, 10 points
Harpring — 24 mins — 9 shots, 8 points
Korver — 24 mins — 5 shots, 10 points
Also no mention of (with the game in hand) K.Perkins trying to take Deron’s head off.
But whatever, once Houston starts to play real teams we’ll stop hearing about them, precisely 5-7 games into the nba playoffs.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Amar says:
btw, the write up really sounds like someone was just reading the boxscore — Oooops, that’s probably what y’all did.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:35 am
heavy d says:
Announcers a few games back said that the Spurs had hired Kelvin Sampson as a scout or observer. Not quite sure why he is always at Spurs games if he is a scout, but they indicated he was on the Spurs dime.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:45 am
for real says:
nah, Kelvin Sampson is just workin’ the phones for Pop
March 15th, 2008 at 8:11 am
the_don_mega says:
More ridiculousness from Sean Elliott. The San Antonio broadcast had an advertisement where you can sign up if you want to propose to your woman during a Spurs home game. Segueing back to the game at hand, Elliott cried, “I’m about ready to propose to Tony Parker if he wasn’t already taken!” PAUSE …
i’m out like getting sean elliot the guidance councelor…
March 15th, 2008 at 8:42 am
holla says:
Sorry Dime, but Bowen would’ve been suspended for that shit even if it had been Pargo…Don’t yall remember Kobe getting suspended for coming down off his J with his elbow out? If dude gets a game for that, trying to kick someone in the skull is mos definitely a game. With his history, the dirty son of a bitch shoulda gotten more. Holla.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
SWAT says:
damn sometimes i get tired of reading the hate that yall boys post. Real talk if it was kobe or bron (who plays in the sorry ass east) we wouldnt hear anything about a weak schedule. I’m ready to hear the excuses that if gasol doesn’t play and we beat the lakers that’s gonna be why. someone has said it previously that when boston went on a tear at the beg of the season they were ready to hand the boys the damn chip already. yall bandwagon jumpers and haters are both needed and very much appreciated. Htown is throwing up the deuce and giving boys dab, you know the southside actin bad on tht ass. Clutch city 08′ baby.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:56 am
E$ says:
1st off, I would love to hear any other announcers call a 21 straight Streak game & not be emotional. Matt Bullard said he cried because he knows how special it is to win in this NBA. If this was LBJ or #24, it would be a **** fest from the media.
CP3 is a easy vote & 2nd a real close 2nd for being a Historical Baller, hey the Rockets beat that same N.O. team twice, by a combinded score of 30pts….”Who got the Props!”
C.O.Y. – Ricky A!
March 15th, 2008 at 9:57 am
E$ says:
East Coast, your team plays the same people….where your streak @ homie?!? lol @ these Barkley *itches
March 15th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Dennis Castro says:
Dime, no mention of the Sixers coming back from like 16 down in the fourth in Chicago to beat the Bulls? Especially considering they made the comeback mostly with their second unit.
C’mon man, that was a big win not only for the Sixers, but also a big loss for the Bulls as they could have tied for the 8th seed had they won.
Sixers are playing out of their minds lately and I think that warrants at least a mention.
Temple/St. Joe’s in the A-10 final. Philly college bball history today. Temple all day baby!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:32 am
E$ says:
plus the Sixers are the team that turned around the Rockets season! Go Sixers!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Dennis Castro says:
Sixers need to start getting some love from the national media. Big game tonight against the Spurs.
Let’s see if they can hang with the world champs. And if Bowen tries that ish he usually does I might throw something. He’s the most agitating/annoying player to watch in the league, hands down!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Dave says:
Hilarious… former Laker great Gail Goodrich is already out of the box saying that Houston won’t reach 33 games. A reprise of the ’72 Miami Dolphins and their “perfect” season.
In this case, I happen to agree with Goodrich, but what is it with old guys and their old records?
March 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
johnson says:
there’s no reason Kirilenko should be splitting minutes down the middle with Harpring. on a fluke, it didn’t lose them the game last night, but Kirilenko needs at least 35 minutes a game for this team to have continued success. him and/or Williams need to be on the floor at all times. i can’t explain how much more he gives the Jazz than Harpring but just watch how they play when he’s in rather than Matty.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Dennis Castro says:
You guys ever watch Goodrich on NBATV? He’s one of the worst broadcasters I’ve seen. It’s tough to stomach watching him go through highlights. Seems nice enough, but he’s always messing up the lines or players names.
And NBATV got the wrong Aldridge to be it’s lead anchor. If I were them, I’d throw some money David’s way. Best inside info man in the business.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:52 am
isotope says:
lol @ y’all Dime READERS. Especially dude that said Hou played Cle 3 times. lol. No deal. It was twice. And its funny how you “forgot” to put New Orleans (2x) and Dallas in your list. Playoff teams in the West. And you’ve got to give them credit for gettinga good # of them without their All star center and best player. The Lakers can’t beat the teams they need to beat dropping to teams like CHA, SAC, and NOH. Teams that the Rockets beat. And they have the best record in the West and the 3rd best in the league. Give credit where credit is due, Haterz!
March 15th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Austin Burton says:
“With Carlos Boozer (17 pts, 12 rebs) and Kevin Garnett (15 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asts, 4 blks) playing to a standstill, Celtics/Jazz came down to Deron Williams simply beasting Rajon Rondo for 32 points and 8 dimes. Deron was on “Go” all night, playing super-aggressive and getting to the line 18 times. He made 17 of them.”
That looks like 3 sentences to me. Why’s everyone saying it only got one sentence?
March 15th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
isotope says:
i was thinking the same thing.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
word says:
damn the rockets made a nice turn around to win the game in the second half and I am glad they did, if McGrady don’t retire with any rings, this will be a nice highlight to his career. Their announcers are extra though lol. AND MUTOMBO is still a key big man at 42 making crucial blocks and plays, that’s my boy right there.
And the Lakers are nothing more than okay without Gasol. Kobe is great and all that but the team as a whole ain’t a contender without a proper big man, ie: Shaq, Gasol, Bynum ain’t experienced enough yet although he is improving. Not taking nothing away from Kobe though, but they better pray Gasol stays healthy in the playoffs or it’s gunna be same situation they’ve gone through with the Suns past 2 seasons.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
SAS Sizzle says:
Last night the Grizzly Adams of the Lakers, Pau Gasol, went down with an ankle injury.
Who is willing to bet there was a collective gasp and realization that Championship hopes depend on a little luck and good team health as much as anything else really.
Oh and Ray Allen of the Celtics, down with an ankle injury also.
The point is, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. There is always a chance your team could end up as the Fakers instead of holding a trophy.
——–
On a side note, Bowen’s 500-game streak should continue with an (*). hahaha, Haters
March 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Cale says:
Popping Reeses like vicodin? I don’t get it guys, the only way i see that working is if it’s the other way around, e.g., he was popping vicodin like they were reeses..Right?
March 15th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
skurv says:
sampson works for the spurs now as some sort of scout or something. do your research dime. if you dont, then what you’re doing is in no way journalism, its just more crap blogging that the world does not need. do you guys consider yourself journalists? not trying to talk any shit, just a serious question.
March 15th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
BustJlaze says:
………only a matter of time before the injury bug bit Gasol…DAG!
And yeah, Cale…you’re right! I knew that didn’t sound quite right
March 15th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Austin Burton says:
Journalists can’t watch a basketball game and ask a question? Jeez…
March 15th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Ian says:
iso
u r right
everyone is making excuses that they havent played good teams
whattt
the have played the whole league almost
and i want to see another team win 21 straight against the bad teams
they dont do it
spurs vs pistons
spurs were without their two best perimeter defenders
and btw loved that foul they called on horry when prince tripped all over himself
March 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
2 Easy says:
Im just tryin to figure out why Tmac is gettin zero mvp love. Everyone is shinin it up for Kobe and then preparin to give Lebron the next 17 but Tmac is doin exactly what Charles Barkley said he never used to and as a result Houston is 1st. Granted they beat some shit teams but realistically here not everyone you’d face in a 2 month span would be a contender. If it was that easy than every championship caliber team would have done it and quite frank none of them have. I dont kno if Tmac will win MVP but I kno hes not gettin near enough hype but thats wat happens when the NBA wants the MVP to go to KB or LBJ
March 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
tahir says:
dude every team is a proffesional team and all the players get paid to play the game… on top of that they played almost half the league… and then when the rockets were playing all good teams in the begining everyone was hating on them for losing to them… considering they had a new coach which means a new leader… all props go to houston rockets team to make the history… i wana see who is going to beat there streak cause it took a team almost 40 years to beat that 20 game streak i m out like all the freaking haters on rockets…
March 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
tahir says:
u know what else the rockets didn’t do after yao went down they didn’t throw in there towel to throw away there season like other teams are doing… we could’ve bitched out too get a better pick in the draft
March 15th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
knocks says:
I was never a McGrady fan until I saw his passion and heart last year–true, he failed, but that’s when a man’s true self really is revealed.
All of the McGrady-hatin’ and no-logic-Battier-hatin’ is crazy. Just for that, I’m jumping on this Rocket bandwagon.
’94 and ’95 all over again, bitches.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Dave says:
I understand there are lots of things going on in the NBA but to give the Jazz win at Boston a mere blurb isn’t giving the potential finals matchup it’s due ink. The Jazz are the only west team to beat Detroit and Boston on their homecourts, and they have the only winning record and the best record against western playoff teams which means they own all the tiebreakers. Houston and LA is fun to talk about but remember there are going to be 10 more games this year that could be for the top seed in the west. And how long will it take Dime to figure out Deron Williams is THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE NBA? CP is 2-7 head up against Willy and if you had the choice of which one to lead your team there is no question the majority of the league execs would talk Deron Williams!
March 15th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Dennis Castro says:
I think the reason that T-Mac isn’t getting much MVP love is because his playoff past is figuring into the equation. Most people figure that the Rockets under T-Mac’s leadership will be one and done.
People want their MVP’s to lead a team deep into the playoffs at a minimum, which Tracy has yet to do.
And I know that the MVP is supposed to be based solely on the regular season, but you mean to tell me that if you knew Dirk was going to get bounced in the first round and you held an MVP vote, you wouldn’t at least think twice of handing him the trophy?