Bobcats run the NBA gauntlet; Ray Allen plays Ric Flair
The Bobcats almost pulled off the NBA version of running a gauntlet of the original Four Horsemen: beating the Lakers and Celtics on consecutive nights. After shutting down L.A. on Tuesday, the ‘Cats went to Boston last night and had the Celtics on the ropes multiple times, but couldn’t seal the deal and lost in double-overtime. Charlotte was up eight with two minutes left in regulation when Paul Pierce hit a jumper, Rajon Rondo got a layup, Eddie House hit a long two-pointer (Eddie’s foot was on the line; you know he only takes twos on accident), and Rondo tied it up after drawing a questionable foul on Raja Bell that easily could have been a charge, but Tommy Heinsohn said it was a foul, so it must have been a foul … Charlotte was up three with 19 seconds left in the first OT, but let Ray Allen (22 pts, 5 threes) get open for the game-tying triple. The Bobcats led again with 10 seconds to go in the second OT, but Pierce drove and kicked to a (inexplicably) wide-open Ray in the corner, who dropped another three for the game-winner … Pierce (32 pts) almost caused a Carlos Boozer/Joel Przybilla incident when he scored under the basket in the second OT, and as he caught the ball coming through the net and went to put it down on the baseline, realized Gerald Wallace (20 pts, 10 rebs, 4 stls) was laying on his back in that same spot. Pierce stopped himself from dropping the ball on Crash, which could have been taken the wrong way and unleashed an Alabama ass-whuppin’ … While the Bobcats took a big hit to their playoff hopes, their counterpart in the West, the Suns, gutted out a postseason-worthy win against the Rockets last night that involved a fourth-quarter rally, some solid (albeit wildly overrated by ESPN’s Jon Barry) defense down the stretch, and Steve Nash taking over … Down seven in the fourth quarter, Phoenix went on a 15-0 run to take the lead for good. Along the way Nash (25 pts, 17 asts) was destroying Aaron Brooks on simple pick-and-roll jumpers and pull-up threes, some get-back from when Brooks gave him 30 and a game-winner a couple weeks ago … But just when you thought it was over, the Suns botched some opportunities to deliver the dagger, and Ron Artest kept jacking to get the Rockets within two with 21 seconds left — when they finally figured out it made sense to double Nash on the inbounds and force guys like Matt Barnes to handle the ball — but Phoenix made its free throws and the Rockets got denied on some critical possessions in the final seconds … Hoping and praying for a Mavs loss, the Suns didn’t get enough help from D-Wade. Miami was down two with 1.3 seconds left when Wade (23 pts, 9-20 FG) took the inbounds in the corner, but Jason Kidd harassed him enough to prevent Wade from getting the shot off in time. And then the Mavs fans reacted like it was revenge for the ‘07 Finals or something …
Clippers announcer Mike Smith was JOCKING Chris Paul to the point where it became uncomfortable; it was like watching Taylor the Gold-Digger from VH1’s “Tough Love” locked in a room of NBA All-Stars. Before the game Smith called Paul, “The best point guard since Magic Johnson,” and after CP made a simple transition layup in the first quarter, Smith gushed, “Is there anything he can’t do?” A few minutes later, Smith said, “When it comes to the postseason, [Paul] can win you a series.” Look, we like CP as much as anyone, but he’s only won ONE playoff series in his entire career; let’s not go putting him up there in the Duncan/Wade playoff killer category yet. And about the “best PG since Magic” talk, did everyone just forget that Isiah Thomas and John Stockton existed? … By the time CP was done putting up 30 points, 14 dimes and six steals in the Hornets win, Smith had sent in his application to live in the crawl space at CP’s house … Funniest moment of the night: Fred “YouTube Me” Jones missed a tough breakaway layup, and Chris Kaman got hung on the rim when he got five inches off the ground trying for a one-hand follow dunk. But that wasn’t the end. Kaman got the ball back and missed a reverse layup right under the rim, then got it back and missed AGAIN from point-blank range. And the next time down the floor, Kaman bobbled a pass out of bounds … Other big stat lines from Wednesday: Chris Bosh had 24 points, 12 boards and three blocks in a win at Orlando; Devin Harris put up 19 points, 11 assists and four steals in a win over Detroit; Caron Butler scored 31 in a loss at Memphis (Gilbert Arenas DNP); and Kobe dropped 30 in a win at Milwaukee, while Ramon Sessions posted a triple-double (16 pts, 10 rebs, 16 asts) in the loss … And then there was Kings/Warriors. Monta Ellis had 42 points, nine boards and nine assists in the overtime win, but the real story was Kevin Martin. He had 50 points on ELEVEN field goals, going 11-for-22 from the field and 23-for-26 at the stripe. K-Mart had 19 in the first quarter, and late in the quarter the Warriors announcers both realized what he was doing and were amazed. “It’s quiet,” one of them said about K-Mart’s buckets … The McDonald’s High School All-American Game went down in Miami last night. In a close and competitive game, at the end it came down to Xavier Henry and Lance Stephenson going head-to-head. With about 1:30 left, Xavier (14 pts) stuck an NBA three in Lance’s eye to give the West a one-point lead, then Lance (12 pts, 6 asts) called for a clear-out on Xavier and drove past him to set DeMarcus Cousins up for free throws. Cousins bricked them both — see, he’s perfect for John Calipari — but Lance came back and hit Derrick Favors (19 pts, 8 rebs, MVP) with an alley-oop from damn near half-court for the go-ahead bucket. After Tommy Mason-Griffin missed a hurried three on the other end, Lance then dimed Favors with another long-distance pass for a dunk to put the East ahead by three. On the last chance for the West, 7-foot Mason Plumlee decided to take the potential game-tying three, holding the ball for several seconds and throwing up a wild brick at the buzzer, all while Michael Snaer — only one of the best shooters in the country — stood right next to him wide-open calling for the ball. Ah, kids … We’re out like Kaman’s game …
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 am
that's whats up says:
Can’t believe Kidd didn’t get called for the hack on Wade. Same refs from the Spurs/Hornets on Sunday?
Iverson ain’t happy coming off the bench. He’s so mad he may throw his wife out of the house naked
Couldn’t get into the McD game; too sloppy and selfish. It was like watching the 2007-2008 Knicks all over again
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:31 am
the_don_mega says:
how in the hell does kevin martin do that?
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:34 am
solomon (el latino machismo) says:
“Cousins bricked them both — see, he’s perfect for John Calipari”
lol… that’s cold…
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:54 am
ya boy says:
Kmart gets cats on the super sneak, i mean on some AIG shyt fa real.By far the most interesting game of the night followed by celtics/bobcats,then suns /rockets.
Jesus is fluckin clutch at the three !!Nice show
Now rockets/lakers i’m taking the night off for for sho.bet you artest gets a tech by the first half lol!
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:18 am
QQ says:
07 Finals? The Mavs and Heat played in the 2006 Finals.
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 am
Scott says:
Anyone else see the Magic literally hand the game to the Raps, can’t believe Lewis missed that WIDE OPEN FOR DAYS 3, and I’m a Raps fan, lol.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
that dude says:
That Mc D’s game was terrible, dont they realize people dont wanna see them dribble thru 5 people and throw up some bull, the best games are the ones where sombody says f it im getting people involved or im going strap whoever up. To me that earns acclaim from people not this i dont see nobody on my team i can do this and that. play under control your game will speak for itself, and as much as i like lance he was JACKING for beats out there, he only passed when he had no other choice, and his attitude still is shi@@@.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:28 am
P... says:
i remember last year brandon jennings passing the ball to everybody.. made the game so much better..
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 am
Patrick says:
I love the micky d’s game. They aren’t used to playing together, so it’s kind of like the last pickup game of the night where even if you win and hold court it doesn’t matter becuase there is no next game. That being said these are the kids that are going to dominate college basketball next year. Obviously the kid should have hit Snaer for the game winner, but is there any question that Plumlee, Gallon, Favors and Sydney are going to be the best big men in the country? After watching the dunk contest and the game last night are there any NCAA big men (outside of Blake Griffin) you would take over them in the draft?
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:52 am
QQ says:
The Mickey D is all about impressing the D1 coaches and the scouts. It’s all about sending a message about a player’s talents, abilities and skills. Naturally, yall see a lot of jacking and stuff. If you’re watching the game to see a set play carefully executed, you’re watching it for the wrong reason.
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
POPPI GEE says:
Houston Up!
I really actually wanted the Suns to win, but dang I can the Mavs PLEASE LOSE!
DOES ANYONE WANT TO SEE THE MAVS IN THE PLAYOFFS FOR REAL? I would rather watch San. An.
Only think interesting about the Mavs is Jason Kidd and Mark Cuban.
Anyway Rockets still look good last night, Yao just has to get it going early. Brooks has to learn to use his fouls or something. I mean you have a nice amount of fouls so knowing how to use them defensively to stop a rhythm and send messages is a part of D too.
He got lit up last night. PG still seems to be a weak spot that could be the undoing.
Hope not.
All them dudes in the H.S. game need to stay IN college at least 2 years. They don’t look ready at all.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
QQ says:
I would rather see the Mavs than to watch Shaq’s whiny ass.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Kudabeen says:
The one series CP3 one in his 4 years is just as many as the Clipper franchise in their existence, but I get the point…
The McDonalds game wasn’t that impressive to me, but I’ll watch again…Lance didn’t show me much…He looked really unpolished and a bit out of shape to me. Someone was making the point that their season is over, so they aren’t in great shape, but They are in High School…I don’t know if the floor was slippery or if there were dead spots, but the game was rough…
Tiny Gallon showed me something…He was very agile for his size and if he works his weight down to 280 or so he could be a major player…
Of course Nova’s recruits were getting much of my attention, but I have to watch again…I like what I saw given the format.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
Rafa23 says:
hey guys, look at the warriors players who didn’t play. what is going on at nba.com?
http://www.nba.com/games/20090401/SACGSW/boxscore.html
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 am
ToAn says:
@14…that’s hilarious…Old age/Lack of talent….hahaha…guess some hackers had too much time. that made my day. thans rafa
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
rangerjohn says:
@ 14
click on g.hill and it goes to grant hill, who doesnt even play for the warriors LMAO now thats good stuff
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:57 am
zmafuel says:
why is no one in the media is talking about the disgraceful display that the magic put on at their half time show? I realize they couldn’t have known the guy was laid off, but we are in the midst of one of the worst economic recessions in the past 100 years so you think the team could have used a little more discretion in deciding to make a joke about a financial award of that size. And the fact that they actually gave the fan the 100 grand bar afterwards was just a slap in the face, adding insult to injury. That move just evinces a total lack of class on behalf of the entire magic organization and says a lot about their lack of concern for their fans.
Dime, I think you should write a post analyzing this move, since apparently no one else in the media is.
Peace.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am
Tom S. says:
If Pierce and Crash would’ve scrapped, Pierce probably would’ve needed a wheelchair to get off the court.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
calvin brodus says:
@zmafuel
espn makes it sound like that guy who took the shot was in on the joke. it was definately tied in with april fools day. their recap of the situation is a little confusing though. it’s at the bottom of this article.
http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290401019
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:32 am
BROGDEN says:
Everytime Kevin Martin plays, he forgets his werewolf outfit.
Funny how Kenyon is the NOT the real KMART anymore.
LOL
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:38 am
QQ says:
@ post 17:
As a Magic fan, I felt obliged to defend them. LOL.
Here’s the deal: The man who shot the ball is NOT a real fan. He is a Magic employee who was planted as an April Fool’s joke. The whole shtick was scripted. The joke was on the crowd.
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:02 am
bill says:
Ray Allen is the Clutchess player in the nba…
It’s amazing how its seems like every time it comes down to the wire and celts need a three he’s wide open..
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
LAballer says:
man i just wrote like an essay and that shit didnt post..im over it..
LAAAAAAAAAAAKERSSSSSSSS
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
LAballer says:
how nice..that last post did make it..
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
doc says:
How come the Bobcats keep leaving Ray open in the clutch.He beat them at the buzzer last year.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
K Dizzle says:
Refs weren’t tryin to give the Raps the game. They shot 18 freebies to the Magic’s 41…
That game is exhibit A while Dwight ain’t on the top level yet. 10-20something from the stripe don’t cut it. Not to mention Chris Bosh puttin that cold hearted jumper in his eye for the game. Shaq can diss all he wants but CB4 is the best young power 4 in the game.
Damn shame that they finally healthy and gellin cuz they legitimately a top 3 team in the east right now
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
LA says:
bosh always gets tha best of Dwight. imma start calling him Chris-to-nite. now if only toronto could make playoffs and face them in 1st round.
i think ur letting mike smith get under ur skin too much. dont believe everything he says is important. did u see the doctored picture they put of pippen dunking on mike smith? hilarious shit.
i think i finally gave up on Chris Kaman’s career on that missed layup sequence. trade him for ANYTHING including JO or hell mark blount.
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Mo says:
No, nobody forgot about Isiah or Stockton but Magic was better than both of them and CP might be too when it’s all said and done. The Clippers announcers were comparing Magic’s first 4 years to CP’s first 4 years. They didn’t say he was better than Magic. They also went on to note that Magic won 2 championships in his first 4 years notably because he was also playing with Hall of Famers while Paul is playing with guys like Hilton Armstrong and Sean Marks. People try hard to dismiss it but Paul’s numbers in his first 4 seasons are very comparable to Magic’s first 4 whether they like it or not. You can’t try to compare a 4 year player to another players’ (a great player to boot) full body of work which is what causes everyone to look at CP3 as if he has eight eyes or something. Comparisons will be made. They have always been made and will continue to be made. I’m pretty sure Magic was compared to players when he entered the league as well.
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Mo says:
Meant to say the Clips announcers were comparing stats (which just so happen to be comparable), not how many championships each player won.
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Mo — During the pre-game show, Mike Smith straight-up said he thought CP was the best point guard since Magic. Maybe they went into the stats later in the broadcast, but Smith delivered the punchline early.
April 2nd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
dagwaller says:
I’m a pretty big Suns fan, but I’ve given up hope on this season. Having said that, last night’s game was a blast to watch! Seeing Nash back on top was a breath of fresh air. If Amar’e had been healthy all year, I’d go so far as to say they’d have the most talented starting 5 in the League - it’s just a shame that they had Terry Porter for the first half of the season.
I mean, Nash, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, and O’Neal is a sick lineup. And now it seems like they’ve figured out how to play together (albeit without Amar’e). If only three of those guys weren’t 245 years old in basketball years…
PS Nash has the second most charges drawn in the NBA? If that’s real, it kind of pokes a hole in the “he plays no D” argument…
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Byrd says:
Yeah, OK, Mike Smith isn’t the best, but Ralph Lawler is a BOSS…. BIIIINNNGOOOOO!
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
dagwaller says:
Thomas, Stockton, Kidd, Nash, even GP…there might be a few people that would take exception to the CP comparisons. Deron Williams and Tony Parker might even have a word in this conversation, since they’ve accomplished just as much if not more than CP.
April 3rd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Mo says:
But still, saying the best point guard SINCE Magic isn’t the same as saying he’s better than Magic. You guys act like he said CP is BETTER THAN Magic. When comparing numbers is all he was saying. CP’s numbers were better than Nash’s when Nash won his MVP’s. Go compare the numbers out of all the point guards dagwaller listed and see which ones come as close to Magic’s. Kidd was probably the only one with similar rebounding numbers as Magic but other than that, in their first 4 seasons (as the Clip’s announcers demonstrated), CP’s numbers are comparable to Magic’s. There’s always going to be a player that people will say “could player X be the best since player Y?”