This week in the NBA

[alfdogg 0]

National games

 

Wed, ESPN

Detroit @ New York, 8 PM ET

Utah @ Phoenix, 10:30 PM ET

 

Thu, TNT

Cleveland @ Detroit, 8 PM ET

LA Lakers @ Sacramento, 10:30 PM ET

 

Fri, ESPN

Denver @ Miami, 8 PM ET

Phoenix @ Seattle, 10:30 PM ET

 

Dec. 13 ESPN Power Rankings

 

1. Seattle

2. Phoenix

3. San Antonio

4. Minnesota

5. Sacramento

6. Miami

7. Dallas

8. Detroit

9. Orlando

10. Cleveland

11. Denver

12. Washington

13. LA Lakers

14. LA Clippers

15. Memphis

16. Portland

17. Houston

18. New York

19. New Jersey

20. Boston

21. Indiana

22. Philadelphia

23. Utah

24. Chicago

25. Milwaukee

26. Atlanta

27. Toronto

28. Golden State

29. Charlotte

30. New Orleans

 

OK, I know the Pacers have come upon hard times, but there's no way we're worse than the fucking NETS.

 

On a more positive note, we snapped our 7-game losing streak with a win in Atlanta, our first road win since the suspensions. We also signed Michael Curry and released Tremaine Fowlkes.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Chris F. Webber!

 

WHOOO!

 

I say WHOOO, dammit!

[MrRant 0]

Sonics lead the Lakers 51-34 with 2:31 in the 2nd quarter.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

The Clippers are going to kill me.

 

They lose to the Jazz 93-91 with another missed free throw costing the team the game.

 

Before this game they had missed a free throw in the final minute of a game in 4 occasions that would have basically guaranteed a victory. Then they went on to lose those 4 games in OT.

 

Clippers fall to 11-10 when they could easily be 17-4 if they would make their damn free throws in crunch time.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Oh no...if you're a longtime Clippers fan, you don't bitch about 11-10. You thank every God thats ever been manifested and you do it with a SMILE.

 

I'm a Bulls fan. It hurts. I'd kill for 11-10

[Dangerous A 0]

Chris F. Webber!

 

WHOOO!

 

I say WHOOO, dammit!

I echo Slim's sentiments. All the Kings have to do now is figure out those dastardly T-Wolves and we'll be tough to beat, eh?

 

 

Caught the Laker-Sonic game as well. Too bad for the Kobester, he played well, shot the ball well, he just didn't have enough firepower outside of himself to get the job done. Actually, this is not too bad since I do hate the Lakers.

[MrRant 0]

Fuck that prima donna.

[strummer 0]

How can the Nets be that high on PR list?, they are just 1 below the Knicks and the Knicks are 4 games ahead of them in the standings

[Precious Roy 0]

OK, I know the Pacers have come upon hard times, but there's no way we're worse than the fucking NETS.

 

Yeah, and there is no way New Jersey should be ahead of Boston, who's beaten Seattle TWICE and just beat the Clippers in double OT the other night!

 

They're giving Kidd a major blowjob here.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Caught the Laker-Sonic game as well. Too bad for the Kobester, he played well, shot the ball well, he just didn't have enough firepower outside of himself to get the job done. Actually, this is not too bad since I do hate the Lakers.

That's more or less seemed to be the story this season. When everyone else steps up, they're unbeatable but when they slack off and let Kobe do all the work, they can't get it done against the good teams on the road, or they lose close ones at home.

 

At least Kobe won his personal showdown with Ray Allen, but it's a shame Butler only came up with 16 points and Odom looked just like in his Clipper days, getting a meaningless 8 points (but at least 9 rebounds isn't too bad). Odom should have been the guy covering Rashard Lewis, who basically won the game for the Sonics.

[sfaJack 0]

I'm going to the Rockets/Warriors game on Friday.

 

Thank God the tickets were free.

[Precious Roy 0]

Hey, I'd pay to see Derek Fisher!

[Guest Vitamin X]

THE FISH SWISH~

 

I miss Derek Fisher. And now we have no real PG, to boot. Fuck Chucky Atkins.

[Precious Roy 0]

Atkins can hit the 3 and play ok d, that should be all they need out of that spot with Jesus Bryant playing the 2

[alfdogg 0]

No, I agree with X.

 

Fuck Chucky Atkins.

[Guest Vitamin X]

They would have been much better off with Fisher. The funny part was, when the offseason started the whole debate was who were they going to keep, Payton or Fisher... and they ended up getting rid of both of them for an overpaid PG whose team got crushed in the first round of the playoffs last year. I had to correct this mistake when I started my franchise in NBA2k5, I traded Devean George to the Warriors for Derek Fisher and Karl Malone/Chucky Atkins to the Grizzles for J-Will. Too bad the actual Lakers won't do that.

[Ripper 0]

I haven't come around to brag about the Suns and dance about aimlessly as they contiue to kick ayass.

 

 

*dances about aimlessly*

[Precious Roy 0]

To be fair, Atkins was never Boston's real PG, it was never "his team" in any sense. They traded Mike James for him in the 2nd half and he was nothing more than a stand in/part timer. He's been a solid performer when he's had a defined role on a team, which he never really had in Boston.

 

LA would be a lot better off if they'd got Marcus Banks in the Mihm/Payton deal though, he's a really talented kid and contributes solid minutes off the bench for the Celtics.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Jamal Crawford is gonna win the Love/Hate award for this season I'd have to assume. He played like Basketball Jesus the first half and then essentially lost the game for them in the final quarter with just some awful decision making. I hate to repeat announcers, but in the final moments of the game, give Marbury the fuckin ball.

 

Still think Detroit should run some more iso and post up plays for Tayshaun Prince. He can go over the top of most 3's and every guard in the league.

[Guest Vitamin X]

LA would be a lot better off if they'd got Marcus Banks in the Mihm/Payton deal though, he's a really talented kid and contributes solid minutes off the bench for the Celtics.

I still think it would have been better to have tried to resign Fisher. Banks may be a better guard than Atkins, but it still doesn't solve the lack of depth at that position. I think LA needs to stock up on guards, not forwards personally. All they needed was a great PG and a stable contributor at C and Kobe/Odom/Butler could do the rest, but apparently it's not working that way. I hope we get someone back for the Vlade deal, hopefully when Malone gets traded to San Antonio for, say, Tony Parker. I'm pretty damn happy with Chris Mihm though, even if he is still just learning the ropes, the kid's a solid player.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Wait, why wouldd they have to trade Malone at all? I believe he is an unrestricted free agent.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I thought he was still under contract to the Lakers for this season?

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

I believe he had a contract that guaranteed the first year with an option for the second. If I remember correctly, he did not pick up that option, so he is an unrestricted free agent. Not sure on that though.

[alfdogg 0]

Malone is a free agent.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

I watched some of the PHX game and Is it just me or does the court and arena look totally different from the conventional courts in the nba or is it just me?

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

It reminds me of a college court, I've noticed the difference as well. It looks like the same court Sacramento and the Lakers played an exhibition game on a few preseasons back.

[The Czech Republic 0]

It needs more fuckin' paint. How can you score in the paint when there's no paint? And get that stupid PHX thing offa dere. Come on, your colors are purple and orange, surely you can have fun with that gaudy combo. Don't be boring.

 

Also: Milwaukee Bucks in Christmas colors again PLZ!!!!!!

also, for fun, play on a really dark herringbone floor. That's different than regular pattern or parquet.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Hi where Sam Cassel and Latrell Sprewell. We show up when we feel like it, which is against Good Teams, and teams that for whatever reason we don't like.

[Black Lushus 0]

leave it to the Knicks to blow a 16 point halftime lead at home...sometimes I hate being a sports fan...

[mike546 0]

I was too very angry with the Knick loss. Buts its not like they blew the game late because of their play. The lead got put down to like five near the end of the 4th quarter. The Knicks held off the Pistons for the WHOLE 4th quarter. Being a Knick fan and all, I was waiting for someone to miss a couple shots, and for Detroit to go on a run to take the lead. But we hit all our shots, until Kurt missed a key free throw, and dumbass Crawford took a horrible shot.