Yardbarker: National Basketball Association

Knicks Coach: No Interest In Charitable Gestures

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:11:15 -0500

Nice video find by Jose3030.FM: (Vid after jump … shot) That’s Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks today nailing a long shot - into the Nets’ basket. Surprisingly, Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni wasn’t feeling nearly as charitable as Robinson. (Everyone has a fetish these days) Share This

Down With the King: Sixers Begin Road Stretch in Cleveland

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:11:29 -0500

The Sixers got edged out by the Grizzlies last night in one of the season's more discouraging losses. A career night for Lou Williams--31 points on 12-16 shooting, five assists, six steals--proved insufficient, as the Sixers got creamed on the boards (a 48-28 differential, with no one Liberty Baller grabbing more than six), and couldn't find a way to silence Rudy Gay, who finished with a scorching 33 points, including a game-sealing two in the final minute where no one rotated over t...

Preview: Kings at Rockets

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:15 -0500

by Rich Pedroncelli - AP View full size photo » THE OPPONENT The Kings, you may remember, saw these Rockets about a week ago, in Sacramento's most recent win, one which took the team to a 5-4 record. The Kings have lost two straight: a disappointing slopfest against Chicago, and a resilient fight in Dallas. Houston has gone 2-2 since last Friday, beating the Lakers and Wolves on the road but losing to Phoenix at home, ...

Video: Nate Robinson shoots on wrong basket, D'Antoni snaps

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:10:12 -0500

Funny moment from Saturday's Anti-NBA Finals game: 0.5 seconds left in the first quarter. Knicks inbound the ball to guard Nate Robinson(notes). The New York guard, for whatever reason, turns and purposely heaves a 30-foot shot at the Nets' basket. Goes in. Cue mustache rage.Now, as you can see, the shot came just after the buzzer, but Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was absolutely livid. He even stormed a few feet onto the court and started yelling at Nate. Nate's classic response...

Sheed's Threes a Problem for the Celtics

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:00 -0500

by Brett PollakoffFiled under: Celtics, MagicWhen the Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace over the summer as their big offseason acquisition, they may have thought they were getting a big man who would stretch the floor with his three-point shooting, and one who would force the centers on the other contenders to come out of the paint to try and stop him.But 13 games into the Sheed experiment in Boston, Wallace's three-point shooting has hurt his new team far more than it has helped them. And F...

Rajon Rondo or Eddie House?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:54:06 -0500

Coming down the stretch of last nights game, Eddie House was playing the point instead of Rajon Rondo. It wasn’t until 1:41 left in the fourth that Rondo reentered the game with the score Orlando 80 Boston 78. Rondo finished the game with only 29 minutes played, nearly 3 and a half minutes below his [...]

Thunder beat Wizards in OKC: Final wrap and the inability to execute basic defensive concepts

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:24:18 -0500

More photos » by Alonzo Adams - AP Browse more photos » I've preached patience all year because, let's face it, there is an unbelievable amount of newness to this team. New coach, new superstar (essentially), two new players, new system, new injuries to overcome, a new tough schedule, etc. Without a transcendant player on the roster, and with a system that preaches ball movement and making the extra ...

Game Preview # 12 - Bulls @ Nuggets

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:20:42 -0500

[Thanks to wjb1492 for today's game preview -ed.] Ladies, gentlemen, and other BaB posters, welcome to the first payback game of the young season - the 6 and 5 Bulls (2 and 4 away) at the 8 and 4 Nuggets (4 and 0 home). Undoubtedly, you all also remember Brad's last second shot that was ruled just a little too last second, leaving the Bulls with a 1-point loss instead of a 1-point victory when the teams first matched up less than 2 weeks ago. Whether you think the ref...

Warriors Web: Golden State Warriors 108, Portland Trail Blazers 94- Monta Ellis drops 34 points

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:08:06 -0500

More photos » by Jed Jacobsohn - Getty Images about 11 hours ago: OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Monta Ellis #8 of the Golden State Warriors shoots against the Portland Trail Blazers during an NBA game at Oracle Arena on November 20, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) Browse more photos » GSoM Preview/ Game Thread (1690+ comments) Trail Blazers vs Warriors coverage ...

Clippers Annoucers Pay The Price For MIstaking Iran For Khazakstan

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:32:16 -0500

Los Angeles Clippers TV announcers Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith were excused from last night’s game against Denver after a season ticket holder complained to Fox Sports about the duo’s remarks concerning Grizzlies C Hamed Haddadi during a Wednesday contest with Memphis. For Lawler, this was the first Clippers telecast he’d missed in a quarter [...]

Your Morning Dump... Where we're a long way from where we want to be

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:55:40 -0500

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying a good morning dump.

“We’re not executing. We’re not trusting each other. We’re going to win games, still, but we’re not going to win against good teams. It’s just not going to happen. And we’ll get it, but right now we don’t have it. I said it before the game, I said it (Thursday), I’ve been saying it for a week. We’re just going to keep working.”

Doc Rivers, in the Herald - Newest Trick for Celtics is a disappearing act

“Yeah, I mean that’s something that we got to do a better job as starters. I think it’s kind of getting repetitive -- the starts we’re getting off to and then it’s sort of like we brake off. You know, against a good team, we got to defend for all four quarters. The slippage that we have in the first quarter is about being mentally and physically ready at the start of games. It definitely hurt us tonight.”

Paul Pierce, in the Globe - Postgame Chatter

Let's face it. The Celtics lied to us. They lied to us when they came storming out of the gates. They lied to us when they had a ridiculous defensive efficiency rating. They lied to us when they were banging 3's all over the place.

The Celtics are playing bad basketball right now. Doc is right. They're sloppy.

Take a look at the video: The first three in the video is Rajon Rondo's fault. He comes down to double Dwight Howard but he goes for the ball and gets way out of position. KG is on Rashard Lewis. With Rondo way too low on the D, Howard kicks it back out to Jason Williams. When KG rolls over on Williams, he kicks it to Lewis for the wide open 3.

The second 3 is a fast break 3 where Paul Pierce just doesn't get out. But the third one, Pierce plays some horrible pick and roll defense. Howard sets the pick, Perk rides Mickael Pietrus out and goes back to pick up his guy, but Paul Pierce had gone under the pick and never got back out to challenge the shot. When Pietrus takes the shot, Pierce is almost at the free throw line... rather than turning the corner and getting up on the shooter.

That game was marred with Celtics getting caught too far one way or the other. They were out of position and out of sync. A good defensive team doesn't do that kind of stuff. It's no wonder why Tom Thibodeau was out of his mind during yesterday's game. Everything he was seeing must have been driving him nuts.

After the jump, Page 2... where Sheed isn't concerned about his shooting.

“I ain’t worried about it, honestly,’’ said Wallace, after he missed all eight 3-point attempts. “I probably rushed about two or three of them. Other than that, it’s good looks, they’re just not going for me. I’m not worried about my offense now. It’s still early in the season, I know I won’t be shooting like this for the duration of the season.

“It’s just a matter of making some shots. Everybody goes through it, no matter if it’s 2-pointers, 3-pointers, or foul shots - everybody goes through slumps every now and then. But the key, or the heart of that player will determine how he plays. I’m not the type to let the threes get me down. I’m missing a couple threes so I don’t want to do this any more - no. I’m out there playing basketball.’’

Globe: Wallace unable to zero in

When the Celtics were playing well early in the season, Eddie House and Rasheed Wallace were making a ton of 3's... especially Sheed. He was among the league leaders in makes and takes.

Honestly, we should have seen this coming earlier. How many games did the starters come out slow but were bailed out by the bench? Now, the bench isn't bailing anyone out. Sheed and Eddie are cold... and they're the second unit scorers. Marquis Daniels is doing some good things, but he's still a little lost in the system. Shelden Williams is impressing a lot of people, but he can only do so much.

This team needs Sheed to be option #1 off the bench. Yes, he could stand to get into the post a little more... and maybe he should to get himself going a little. He was 4 of 8 from 2 last night and he had 13 rebounds plus two HUGE steals in the clutch. I'm OK with him stepping out to take 3's, but I really think him mixing it up a little more will help his 3 point shooting.

Rasheed Wallace is a big man who can hit 3's, he's not a 3 point shooter. That's an important distinction. If he plays like a big man who can hit 3's, the Celtics will benefit. If he tries to be a 3 point specialist, he's going to have problems.

The rest of the links:

Briefing: The Thunder Kept on Rolling and Rolling

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:10:58 -0500

More photos » by Alonzo Adams - AP Browse more photos » Game Hub | Boxscore | Game Flow I'm not all that good at picking momentum-changing moments, but I do know that when play like this happens, odds are that team is going to win. Sometimes, you just have games where it just doesn't come together and tonight was one of those nights. There are a lot of places blame can be a...

Comments from the Other Side - Magic 11/20

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0500

These are definitely more fun to do when we win. The majority of posts were complaining about Vince Carter taking 29 of the 70 Magic shots. Ugly game on both sides. Time to step up against the best team of the East. Go Magic! I'm not counting on Dwight at all tonight, Vince has to be big same with Shard. Plus we need big bench play. If current foul treatment of Dwight persists, we're gonna be in a lot of trouble. I wouldn't be shocked if Perkins got him in foul...

Mavericks Vanquish Kings 104-102

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:00:31 -0500

by Tony Gutierrez - AP View full size photo » This was the Mary, Queen of Scots of basketball games. The Mavericks were always in the executioner's role, always with the biggest weapon and the strategically superior position. But damn if they didn't have to hack at the Kings repeatedly to get the job done. "Put the kids to bed, Sally, the Kings are in town!" Dallas ended up winning 104-102, though it was basical...

Court Report: The Answer is No

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:59:37 -0500

The Knicks have shunned AI, Bogut is back on the shelf, and the Curry Line's namesake is back in action. All that and notables from Friday's action in bullet form... • The Knicks will not make an offer to Allen Iverson(notes), with Mike D'Antoni citing their young roster as the main reason:“With the development of some of our young guys and with Gallo and Wilson and Toney Douglas(notes) and Eddy, we just didn't think right now we wanted to have that dominant force o...

Clippers 106 - Denver 99 - That's Why They Play the Games

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:14:24 -0500

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP Browse more photos » I don't think anyone saw this coming. The Clippers had lost two straight games to teams with losing records. The Nuggets had been looking like one of the elite teams in the league, and after dismantling the Lakers last Friday on ESPN, were fully expected to do the same to the Clippers tonight. With no Milph on Prime Ticket, I decided to wat...

Game Preview #11: Washington Wizards @ San Antonio Spurs

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:00:14 -0500

Good with a little bit of yogurt and OJ in a smoothie Why the picture of fruit, Cap? Because this is what I feel like doing: blowing razzberries, Bronx cheer, whatever you want to call it. And I'm out of beer. And the sports gods really, really hate me. More after the jump. Warning: Massive amounts of crankiness and negativity ahead. Please keep your arms and legs within the car at all times as we plummet down the rollercoaster known as Spurs ...

Game 14 Recap: Blazers 94, Warriors 108

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:23:42 -0500

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP The Portland Trail Blazers' Greg Oden (52) is a mirage during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, in Oakland, Calif. His teammates reported him missing at halftime; his Coach hadn't noticed. He is currently on the side of a milk carton. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Browse more photos » The most frustrating losses are the ones that are the most p...

Clippers Broadcasters suspended

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:43:16 -0500

Two Los Angeles Clippers Broadcasters, Ralph Lawler and Mike Smith, were suspended for Friday night’s telecast after they made controversial remarks about the first Iranian born NBA player. The comments were made during Wednesday night’s telecast after Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi entered the game. Lawler: “He’s from Iran?” Smith: “I guess so.” Lawler: “That Iran?” Smith: Yes. Lawler: “The real Iran?” Smith: [...]

McGrady wants to play, Rockets say no

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:59 -0500

Tracy McGrady says he is ready to play. The Houston Rockets say he'll have to wait.

Practice Report: Nash Says Suns Got "Fat" and "Cozy" with 10-2 Record

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:02 -0500

Steve Nash was not happy with his team's effort in Thursday's loss to the Hornets. (Photo by Max Simbron) View full size photo » Unlike last week when the Suns came home from a road loss to the Lakers and took Friday off before a Sunday game, today they went hard for a full two hours. The media are let in for the last half hour of practice which almost always is just guys taking shots on their own or in small gro...

Sixers Take On Iverson Free Memphis Squad

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:29:01 -0500

Just a few weeks ago, Philly fans had tonight's basketball contest with the Memphis Grizzlies highlighted as a game to look forward to due to a certain scorer coming back to face the team he made his bones with for all of those years. Well, the Allen Iverson in Memphis experiment was even more short-lived than any hater A.I. hater could have expected. Instead of welcoming back the Answer to the Wachovia Center this evening, the Philly faithful will get the chance to watch Mike Conley, O....

Gil Arenas Has Strange, Painful Message For Shaq

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:50 -0500

Two weeks ago an urban gossip blog reported that the fiancee and baby momma of Gilbert Arenas, Laura Govan, was having a sexual relationship with Shaquille O’Neal. The blog even went so far to publish alleged email correspondence between the two. The day after the blog report, O’Neal’s wife Shaunie, who is a friend of Govan’s, [...]

Tracy McGrady Is Itching To Get Injured Again

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:00 -0500

We're all aware that Tracy McGrady was hurt last season. We're also aware that McGrady has never, ever, ever played the entire 82 games in a NBA season. And he has had 11 seasons to accomplish that feat. With those facts withstanding, conventional wisdom says that McGrady would sit his tail down until he's completely healed from microfracture surgery on his left knee. But as you've probably guessed, McGrady is not interested in dealing in conventional wisdom. Only getting...

Celtics, Magic Game Preview

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Celtics (9-3) vs. Orlando (9-3)

Game time: 8pm, TD Garden. TV - CSN, ESPN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850)

Team Leaders

Scoring
Bos: Pierce - 18.4 Magic: Dwight Howard - 18.1

Rebounding
Bos: Garnett - 7.3 Magic: Howard - 10.7

Assists
Bos: Rondo - 9.0 Magic: Jason Williams - 4.1

Who'll go off: Kevin Garnett. He's shooting 60% from the field in the last four games and I expect that to continue. Anyone else think KG wants to make a statement to Orlando? Look for Rajon Rondo to attack Jason Williams, the Magic starting point guard now that Jameer Nelson is out 4-6 weeks.

Who needs to be stopped: A tough call because the Magic are so versatile. I'm going to pick the Magic bench. Like the Celtics, this team is deep. I believe the Celtics can survive big games from Dwight Howard and/or Rashard Lewis. They'll need to contain the likes of Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick.

The C's will lose if... they don't attack the glass. It's been a common theme over the past week. Fortunately, the Magic are having their own troubles rebounding.

Wildcard: Will the Celtics three-point shooting come back to life? It could, especially since Orlando is allowing opponents to shoot 38% from beyond the arc. Plus, Eddie, Sheed and Ray are all due for a big time, bombs away display.

Prediction: Celtics 99 - Magic 93

Knicks Decide Not to Pursue Iverson

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:21:01 -0500

Team officials spent three days weighing the pros and cons of signing Allen Iverson, a four-time N.B.A. scoring champion with problems in his past.

Rottweilers Host the Poodles in Playoff Rematch

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:23:00 -0500

at Orlando Magic (9-3) at Boston Celtics (9-3) Friday, November 20 8:00 PM ET Game #13, Home Game #7 TV: ESPN, SunSpO, CSN HD, RTV Radio: WDBO, WEEI TD Garden Referees: Eddie F Rush, Tony Brothers, Eric Dallen This is the first meeting of these two teams since the Celtics were eliminated by the Magic in 7 games in last year's playoff semi-finals. I am sure the Celtics would like to get even for that loss and show that they are top dog this season. And I am also sure ...

How did Brandon Jennings slip to #10?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:25 -0500

Not since the 2001 Playoffs have I been this excited about the Milwaukee Bucks. That was the year George Karl led the so-called “Big Three” — Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell — to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. They were just a missed Robinson jumper [...]

Jayson Williams Saga May Finally Be Over

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:14 -0500

According to the AP, Jayson Williams (yes, that one) has accepted a plea deal that will send him to jail for at least 18 months for the accidental shooting of Costas Christofi in 2002. All the way back in April 2004, Williams was originally acquitted of aggravated manslaughter, assault and other weapons charges after he accidentally killed his limo driver with a shotgun during a party in his home. However, he was convicted on four charges related to his attempts to cover up the shooting and ...