Running of the Bulls
LeBron James (photo. Mannion)With Derrick Rose (17 pts, 9 asts) continually torturing Mo Williams and Ben Gordon (29 pts) continuing what has quietly been a very good (contract) year, Bulls/Cavs was a close game well into the fourth quarter, until LeBron took over and drilled back-to-back threes from about 30 feet out. Vinny Del Negro had Luol Deng guarding ‘Bron 1-on-1 instead of bringing over a second defender to make him give it up, and when he finally did decide to bring the double team — which would have worked, since Mo basically messed himself whenever he had an open look — it was too late … LeBron finished with 41 points and 13 boards, the highlight coming in the first half when he spun on Deng in the lane and spiked a two-hand dunk that caused the Cleveland bench to explode. Right before the break he caught another sick one on a breakaway that brought almost the whole team onto the court like it was Rucker Park … Before the game, the Bulls announcers were debating whether Scottie Pippen in his prime or LeBron was faster getting up and down the court. During the game, after another of LeBron’s 100-mph end-to-end runs, analyst Stacy King got on Tyrus Thomas for not stepping in to take a charge. Somebody tell Stacy that Tyrus is trying to live to see his second contract; and that even if Pip was faster, ‘Bron has the added element of being able to go Troy Polamalu on anyone who just stands there in his way … When Chris Paul was leading a fast break in the first quarter of Hornets/Heat and turned it over to Mario Chalmers (who was running right beside him), we thought CP might be in for a rough night against the rookie, a la Andre Miller and Tony Parker earlier in the week. Not so much. CP finished with 21 points and 13 dimes and Chalmers was a non-factor as N.O. broke it’s two-game skid … Can’t blame D-Wade for the loss, though, as he put up 30 points and 10 dimes. He added to the highlight reel when he measured a Mike Beasley baseline miss, snuck in behind Mo Pete and threw down a one-hand follow dunk … Beasley needs a haircut. If Roy Hibbert can find a way to a barber now that he’s making pro dollars, Beasley has no excuse … During Pacers/Nets, the Indiana broadcast polled its viewers and asked if Danny Granger will be an All-Star this year. Ninety-one percent said yes. We wouldn’t say he’s that much of a shoo-in, but Granger has been killing it this year. He dropped 23 on the Nets in the Pacers’ first easy win of the year, which was also their first game against a likely Lottery squad … Vince Carter led Jersey with 31 points, 20 in the first half. Around the time one of the Dime crew was e-mailing, “I have NO idea how [Vince] does it. He looks like he’s 47 years old and isn’t the least bit explosive,” TV analyst Quinn Buckner was talking about how Vince has played a lot of “hard minutes” in his career. “He’s biologically 31, but his body is a lot older,” Buckner said … Kevin Love gets the scapegoat cap for the Wolves’ loss in Portland. Down by two in the final seconds, Love rebounded an Al Jefferson miss and put up a shot that looked good, but before it actually went through the rim, Love turned away and started running back on D. Only the shot didn’t go in. That left Jefferson (27 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 3 blks) alone under the rim surrounded by four Blazers going for the rebound, and Portland came away with the rock and the win … Now why would K-Love assume his shot was good? He had missed everything he took up to that point, finishing 0-for-7 from the field … Before that sequence, Brandon Roy (24 pts, 9 asts) hit the go-ahead bucket on a fake-spin/turnaround J moving to his right that looked exactly like the second-to-last crunch time shot he hit over Ron Artest in Thursday’s win over the Rockets. Randy Foye was the victim this time. Between B-Roy last night and Parker the other day, Foye and Corey Brewer may need counseling before next week’s schedule: the Warriors on Tuesday, Portland again next Saturday, and Chauncey and ‘Melo next Sunday … Gun to their heads, if the Blazers’ front-office had to pick one, would they take Greg Oden or LaMarcus Aldridge? Oden’s got the higher ceiling obviously, but LaMarcus is a certified stud who’s comparatively an iron man next to Oden. Aldridge put up 24 points and 13 boards yesterday … After Shaq sat out the Suns’ blowout loss in Chicago, he looked like 2001 Shaq in Milwaukee, destroying Andrew Bogut to the tune of 29 points and 11 boards in a Phoenix win. Diesel was dusting off out turnarounds, hooks, drop-steps and power dunks, basically making Bogut look like a rookie all over again. Afterward, Terry Porter said Shaq could take all the off-days he wants if he keeps playing like that. He better be careful what he says in front of the recorders, ’cause Shaq might take that and run (well, sit) with it … We’re out like Foye’s confidence …
November 9th, 2008 at 4:52 am
nola says:
first againnnnnn
November 9th, 2008 at 4:55 am
big dog says:
1 boy!
November 9th, 2008 at 4:59 am
knoc says:
allstar for granger!!
November 9th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Yuji says:
Unreal. Shaq actually dropped more than his usual ten points. Last time he did that, Miami was still a really great team.
November 9th, 2008 at 6:09 am
YOUNGFED says:
Question how does D-Rose (17pts) torture Ben Gordon (29pts) WTF shouldn’t that be vice versa. I ain’t saying but i’m just saying. Quick hits it looks like D-Wade is back and K-Love has fallin off. What happen to dude wasn’t he killin’ in the Pre-season.
FEDRODOMOUS PREDICTS: Al Jefferson and Shaq are locks for the Allstar Game and Grangers not. Well maybe he’ll make the 3pt contest
November 9th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Rasho says:
Wade’s dunk was nice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lky3_2N4Dc
November 9th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Rasho says:
Wade’s dunk was nice!
http://www.squidoo.com/DwyaneWade
November 9th, 2008 at 6:34 am
smity far away says:
from the minesota/blazers highlights i see that jefferson was still able to get the rebound amongst the blazer players after love’s miss.
granger is impressive but (like you all at dime have probably already said,) can he be built around? what makes him stand out as a franchise player that can make your other players better (that is what a franchise player does right?) it’ll be tough for him to get the all star nod with ai and brand back in the east, gordon and robinson playin how theyre playin not to mention jamison, smith, bosh, jefferson, yi (china votes), …
question: have sixth men made it to the all star game before? has manu made it as a sixth man?
November 9th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Lee says:
Fed .. read it again.
“With Derrick Rose (17 pts, 9 asts) continually torturing Mo Williams “
November 9th, 2008 at 7:05 am
YOUNGFED says:
Oh yeah I see now I was reading to fast, good lookin’
November 9th, 2008 at 7:46 am
sans says:
Man, i wish yall hadn’t caught that…here’s my joke anyway: “FED, I’ve always said you couldn’t read, and everyday you prove that to the world…” just playin…Gotta take Lamarcus over Fragile Rock; how’s that Ty Thomas trade lookin CHI? And the Foye trade MIN? Kevin Pritchard should seriously apply for the title of current SMARTEST MAN ALIVE, faux reel. Didn’t he get Rudy Fernandez for $800,000? DIME, hook me up and verify how they got Rudy from the Suns.
If the Pacers even appear within a footrace of .500–Granger makes the AllStar squad easily. Oh, and great no call by the refs when Tough Juice slapped heads with whomever…Caron through his head into the other dude, defender stayed within his body, knocked the ball away, and got blasted in the head for holding his spot…just saying
November 9th, 2008 at 7:48 am
sans says:
Is anyone else all-for banning Yi from starting in the AllStar game? He isn’t good enough for the spot, but it might start a war…
November 9th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Phileus says:
Yeah sans, last year Yi wasn’t even on the ballot. He doesn’t deserve to be on the ballot so it shouldn’t be an issue if they do that again this year.
November 9th, 2008 at 8:13 am
YOUNGFED says:
@Sans
Don’t quit your day job oh I forgot this is your day job.
November 9th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Ashlov says:
Does Marc Stein write for Dime? I’m starting to see a policy of only reporting negative Heat news.
November 9th, 2008 at 9:14 am
that's whats up says:
wasn’t any of the DIME crew at MSG last night for the fight? It was a tight fight but Roy Jones jr. was bleeding more than Greg Oden’s coochie does everytime the season starts. He couldn’t overcome the gash (from a legit left hand, nota head butt) and that Calzone guy was a tough m’fer.
visited SA yesterday (family) and the overall mood was grim. Nobody seems to have hope for the spurs except all those folks in their nineties that have seen everything under the sun already. I have to think back to when D-Rob broke his foot; that’s the last time I’ve seen the fans spirits and confidence this low. Luckily, that worked out. but damn, Spurs are in trouble…
from those first two posts it seems the gay clubs stay open later on the weekends…
….not that there’s anything wrong with that….
November 9th, 2008 at 9:35 am
fLaVa says:
@dime
please give credit where credit due… CP3 is the FIRST PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY to start the season with 6 consective 20pts, 10 ast game beating out Big O and i am not talkin about Oliver Miller. Thats a 40 year old record!
CP3 for MVP!
November 9th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Celts Fan says:
@Flava, thing is, CP3’s so damn good, no one’s even surprised by that (kinda shocked that’s a record though.) It’s probably between him and Bron for MVP this year…
November 9th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Amar says:
lamarcus had 13 rebounds? that’s like his output in 6 games vs. the jazz . . .
November 9th, 2008 at 11:52 am
fLaVa says:
@ Celts Fan
LBJ is LBJ but since entering the league, i know hes young… hes never really been top 5 in MVP votes only once in his career he was 2nd in MVP voting (4th,5th,6th) and the real knock on him is that his team doesnt win… He carries the Cavs but i really dont see them as contenders for the title. They did make the finals 06-07 seasons but they put up argueably the worse showing in finals history totally the lowest pts in finals history.
Bron puts up his stats but in order to be MVP, your team has to win and Kobe might of been robbed of the MVP in the 2005-2006 season where he averaged 35pts and scored 81 on my raptors and single handily carried the Lakers to the playoffs when everyone thought LA wasnt even goign to make the playoffs that year. One reason he didnt win mvp was his team wasnt part of the elite finishing in 4th in the West.
LBJ will get his stats once again but in the east, it still belongs to Pistons and Celtics and if LBJ wants that MVP.. he cant just put up stats.. he needs the Ws and i dont see him upstaging the pistons or the celtics this yr.
sorry for the long ass post guys
November 9th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
BEdger says:
@sans - the Blazers purchased the Draft slot that became Rudy Fernandez for 3 million, they then had to convince Rudy to come here and play for 800,000 while turning down 20+million in europe. Not only is Pritchard smart, he might be hypnotic.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
E$ says:
I missed some great games, damn that Gears of War 2
November 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
fLaVa says:
* correction on my post.. Lakers finished 6th not 4th
November 9th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
QuEsT??? says:
wuhuuu shaq diesel, i look like a genius picking up from waivers
November 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Peter Robert Casey says:
Scottie may have had a step on Bron, but he does not come close to the steamrolling presence that Bron has in the open court. Watch out.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
QuEsT??? says:
hey dime, did somebody win the mitchell and ness contest?
November 9th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Celts fan and Flava. Paul and Bron are rollin good,but like KG showed last season, nobody wins the mvp for first half domination, but while we throwin names out, I’m puttin Joe johnson into the mix cuz he toyin with grown men.
Shaq’s flashback was beautiful. Took me back to the LA days when he did that EVERY NIGHT. seriously tho, what happened to randy foye? Dude was can’t miss comin outta Nova
November 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
dagwaller says:
It’s funny how everyone destroys Chicago for trading Lamarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas, when REALLY everyone should be killing McHale for trading Brandon Roy for Randy Foye. I guess people just don’t care because McHale has been doing a poor job for years and because no one cares about the Wolves.
Btw, if you stand in there, Pippen might do THIS to you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETzpRdC6WS8
November 9th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
fLaVa says:
K Dizzle
JJ is definately in the talks for MVP cuz he putting up some nice numbers.
dagwaller
thats a SICK dunk
November 9th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
fLaVa says:
Bosh is putting up some MVP numbers. with JO in the middle it allows Bosh to play his natural position at PF and now hes killing guys out there!
November 9th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
dagwaller says:
Ha, yea, one of my favorite of all time. Anyone can dunk on DJ Mbenga - Pippen dunks on Ewing.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
iamrich says:
are we ready to call randy foye a bust yet?????