The Post Up: Denver outlasts Houston.
LeBron leads Cleveland. Wade tries to lead Miami.
By: Holly MacKenzie
With only three games on the schedule last night, we were spoiled as all three were fantastic and decided by four points or less. We had an overtime game and then the Denver/Houston marathon needing double-overtime to be completed. It was a good night. Surprise guys (Haslem! Anthony Carter!), hitting game winning/overtime forcing shots, A McGrady-less Houston hung in there with the Nuggets, Dwyane Wade exploded in the second half of the game and Bron guarded Kobe to finish out the game and snatch the game from the Lakers.
LeBron is good. Simply put, too good. He ran circles around everyone out there, Kobe included. Fourth quarter comes and he is ON. I missed some of the third because a friend stopped by, but wow in the fourth he was nothing short of fantastic.
I can only imagine how it felt to be a Pistons fan watching LeBron dismantle their team single-handedly in that game 5 last season. As a basketball fan, I loved watching him go to work last night. As a Laker fan, I just wanted him to go cold.
That foul call on Derek Fisher was brutal and I was yelling at the screen. I am not going to address it anymore than that. I am still bitter about it. Also bitter about that 16-0 run by Cleveland to finish the third and start the fourth.
Wasn’t expecting a double-overtime game from the Denver/Houston match up. Houston looked pretty good without McGrady. Like they TNT guys said at halftime, there was more ball movement and flow to Houston’s offense than I have seen as of late. It is going to be interesting to see how Houston manages without McGrady.Allen Iverson is fun to watch. I hope he doesn’t retire anytime soon.
Dwyane’s performance in the third and fourth quarters was great. I feel badly for the Heat home fans. That was another disappointing performance, giving up the seven-point lead to go on and lose in overtime.
New Jersey 107 Miami 103 OT
In their first game without Alonzo Mourning, the Heat may have been tired on the second night of a back-to-back, but they fought hard before losing another tough game at home, falling to New Jersey 107-103. Dwyane Wade was terrific in the loss, finishing with a season-high 41 points to go along with 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots. Big games from Wade and Udonis Haslem (18 points, 12 rebounds and the game-tying shot to send the game into overtime), were not enough to keep up with the Nets who had numerous guys stand up and perform in the overtime period. While Wade started the extra session with a score and a steal, it was all New Jersey the rest of the way, with Josh Boone rebounding from a bad game on Tuesday night to score five of his 11 points in the overtime as New Jersey outscored Miami 13-9 to finish the game. While they were down by seven in the final minutes they rallied back and thought they had the win with a three-pointer by Vince Carter to put them up 94-92 with 10 seconds remaining before Haslem hit the jumper off of a Wade pass as the buzzer sounded. Carter finished with 31 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for NJ while Richard Jefferson scored 29 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Josh Boone finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds and Malik Allen came off of the bench to score a season-high 18 points. Besides Wade and Haslem, Dorell Wright finished with 13 points and Shaquille O’Neal added 12 in the loss.
Cleveland 94 LA Lakers 90
Last night Kobe Bryant was good, but not nearly as good as LeBron James who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 94-90 victory over the Lakers last night. It was a close game throughout, and while it appeared as though the Lakers were going to stretch their lead when they went up 78-67, with 2:15 left in the third quarter, the Cavs weren’t having it and went on a 16-0 run to finish the period and start the fourth ending up with the 83-78 lead with 9:18 remaining in the game. In the final quarter, the Cavaliers held the Lakers to only 12 points while scoring 21 of their own. The Lakers missed their final eight shots of the game and when Bryant and James guarded each other in the final minutes Bryant went scoreless while James hit a big shot and then connected on both of his free throws to keep the Cavs on top after the Lakers clawed their way back. With 11 seconds remaining in the game, Andrew Bynum drew the foul on Anderson Varajao, went to the line and bricked both. Someway, somehow, Bryant snaked in to grab the offensive board, but it wasn’t enough as he could not connect on a three-pointer on the inbounds play and Derek Fisher was called for a very questionable loose ball foul, sending Daniel Gibson to the line with the Cavs up two and 3.3 seconds on the clock. Gibson hit both shots and Bryant missed a 19-footer at the buzzer. James finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Gibson scored 15 points; Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 and Varajao had 11 points and 15 rebounds, including 6 offensive off of the bench. Bryant finished with 21 points for LA, while Lamar Odom scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Derek Fisher had 18 points and Andrew Bynum had a 17-point, 11 rebound double-double as the Laker bench disappeared in the loss and were outscored 23-7.
Denver 112 Houston 111 2OT
Without Tracy McGrady the Houston Rockets were supposed to be shorthanded. They ended up giving the Denver Nuggets all that they could handle and took them into double-ovetime before falling 112-111. Despite missing 12 of his first 13 shots, Carmelo Anthony found his stroke after halftime and finished with 37 points and 16 rebounds while Allen Iverson scored 36 in the game. Still, the hero of the game was Anthony Carter, who scored only three baskets but the final one was a floater in the lane with .8 seconds to go to give the Nuggets a one-point lead and the victory in double-overtime. While Yao Ming had 26 points and 19 rebounds, Luther Head was huge in place of Tracy McGrady, scoring a season-high 22 points including the overtime-forcing three that tied the game at 94. Denver had thought their lead was safe when they were up seven points in the final 1:40 of regulation, but Head ensured there would be an overtime. The third quarter was all Carmelo, as he connected on all eight of his shots in the period and helped Denver go into the fourth quarter up 73-69. In the first overtime period, the Nuggets went up by three but Houston got a big free throw by Rafer Alston to tie the game up again and force a second overtime. The second extra session was more back and fourth as Houston hoped they would steal the victory after Yao hit two free throws with 4 seconds left on the clock but Anthony Carter’s big shot allowed Denver to escape with the win. Besides Anthony and Iverson, Chucky Atkins added 13 points off of the bench and Kenyon Martin added 8 points and 10 rebounds before leaving the game in the second half with a leg injury. Marcus Camby pulled down 18 rebounds to help Denver out-rebound Houston 63-56. Rafer Alston had 18 points and 10 assists and 7 rebounds for Houston, Bonzi Wells added 17 off of the bench and Shane Battier scored 12.
59 Responses to “The Post Up: Denver outlasts Houston.”
Dec.21 at 9:46 am
Buzz Killington says:
“I shoot threes like stephen jackson, say name watch a bitch reaction” –Pimp C
Dec.21 at 9:47 am
H to the izzo says:
Anyone who missed Duke-Pitt last night missed one helluva game.
Dec.21 at 9:48 am
Keith says:
Morning Holly! How’re the Christmas preparations going? Just thinking: Imagining that both players came with the same baggage, which player, out of Lebron and Kobe, would you want at the Lakers? - just basing this on basketball issues..none of the drama that surrounds 24.
Dec.21 at 9:50 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
barghhhhh I missed the game, Izzo. I saw the score this morning, but I was waiting for someone to comment on it. And Keith, you are killing me with that question.
Dec.21 at 9:51 am
Buzz Killington says:
Richard Jefferson scored 29 points and pulled down 8 assists.???????????????????????????
Dec.21 at 9:53 am
white hot eboy says:
Holly, it was a foul, shi*ty time for it, but put Fish on the ground and think about the outcome that way. Kobe got outplayed in the man on man matchup. Lebron put’s himself on another level when he wants to.
Dec.21 at 9:53 am
H to the izzo says:
LeBron is doing his best to be as controversional(sp?) as KB24 with his new patented “coach bump”
Dec.21 at 9:54 am
white hot eboy says:
Izzo, I caught the last few minutes of the Pitt game. I always love to see Duke lose, in any enviornment.
Dec.21 at 9:55 am
Buzz Killington says:
Yaozilla got called for a supermegaphantom foul on A.I.
Dec.21 at 9:55 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
ahh I just caught that too, Buzz. I’m having some trouble with cutting and pasting and bolding lately!! The program doesn’t seem to be saving and editing all of my changes when I try to. Thanks for the keen eyes!
Dec.21 at 9:55 am
TADOne says:
I heard that was a good game, Izzo. What was it, double OT? I’m always happy when Duke loses.
Dec.21 at 9:55 am
Keith says:
That answer says it all Holly. You take Lebron. I have to agree but only based on the age factor. If age wasn’t a factor…KB24 every time.
Dec.21 at 9:56 am
H to the izzo says:
Eboy:That game made me happy that I was on to LeVance Fields last year,check the archives.
Dec.21 at 9:57 am
Buzz Killington says:
Everyone has excuses for sloppy work.
Dec.21 at 9:58 am
TADOne says:
I did see the end of that Lakers game, and was wondering about that foul on Fish. I mean, what is it the refs are looking for when both players are going for the ball and collide in mid air? How exactly so they determine who gets that call?
Dec.21 at 9:59 am
Buzz Killington says:
Bad calls happen. A great team will overcome; like the Pistons did against Boston.
Dec.21 at 9:59 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
The thing that got me, Tad, was Fisher CLEARLY had complete control of the ball BEFORE colliding and having contact with Gibson. Each player has a right to go for the ball, Fish got there first.
Dec.21 at 10:01 am
white hot eboy says:
TAD, no one seems to realize that Boobie sold the foul, which was legitimate. He sold it in a way only guys like D-Fish do, so he beat the vet to the punch. Good for Boobie. I’ve seen Fish act like he’s been blasted by a shotgun dozens of times in his career from slight bumps, so shi*t happens.
Dec.21 at 10:02 am
Cheryl says:
Eboy, is Ricky as annoying to you and ‘Toine with the ill-advised shots? I understand why he kept shooting, but not his shot selections. That was a well fought game, it disappointing that it was a loss, but I’m glad to see the fight in them.
Dec.21 at 10:02 am
H to the izzo says:
TAD,It was 1 OT but a clutch three pointer won the game
Dec.21 at 10:03 am
Cheryl says:
I meant *as ‘Toine*
Dec.21 at 10:04 am
white hot eboy says:
Holly, when two guys go a loose ball/rebound, the player who has possesion first usually will get the call, unless there is excessive force or contact to dislodge the opposing player from his spot. That’s a interpertation of the rules from the league rule book.
Dec.21 at 10:06 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Buzz, my only “excuse” is that sometimes I don’t know how to edit things properly with wordpress. I paste my notes directly into WP and then make my edits from there. Sometimes it is trial and error with me because I’m just learning the different html code things! aahahaha I swear, sometimes the smallest thing can take me forever all because I forgot a “/” or something. I can always wait and send my stuff in to Sam, or try to post it then figure it out myself so at least the guys on different time zones have something posted early. Unless I really have a problem, I usually post and work on it from there.
Dec.21 at 10:08 am
white hot eboy says:
Cheryl, he’s not quite as annoying as Toine because he can mid-range jumpers and tries to play D. I don’t think he’ll be around much longer though.
Dec.21 at 10:08 am
Buzz Killington says:
ok then
Dec.21 at 10:08 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
yeah, that is what I’m saying Eboy. Fish clearly had control of the ball first and I didn’t consider the contact “excessive”, at least not at that juncture of the game. Gibson certainly did sell the contact/foul and if it was at any other point in the game I probably would have scowled and said good for him, but, I hate calls like that at the end of the game! I
m just being a disgruntled Lakers fan who is upset Bron killed up, though!
Dec.21 at 10:10 am
Jared says:
Levance has been nice…and why so many Duke haters? I have no problem liking them and the way they play. And age or no age…I absolutely take Bron over Kobe…kid does it all, he will be the first player/coach we’ve seen in a while.
Dec.21 at 10:10 am
The Cool says:
SHAQ, RETIRE! PLEASE! Seeing Wade playing his hardest ever night and it to end up in another crappy loss kills me. I’m no Miami fan but seeing a superstar like Wade having no help outside of Haslem is just ridiculous. Shaq is playing too lethargic and he seems like he just wants to come home on my couch and watch the game with me. I really think Miami will have a lottery pick this year so they need to look for a big man. By the way PITTSBURGH STAND UP! Great freakin game. play wit it.
Dec.21 at 10:10 am
TADOne says:
Well, Boobie really did sell that bump collision from Fish, so I see your point Eboy. I guess that is one of those at the refs discretion calls. I suppose the ref figured if Gibson went down that hard that Fish must have caused the foul. Then again, Boobie is like 165 pounds and Fish is a solid 220.
Dec.21 at 10:13 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I think his days are numbered too, Eboy. Where exactly IS Smush? Is he still on their roster? Still getting paid?
Dec.21 at 10:14 am
TADOne says:
Thanks Izzo. I’m looking for highlights of that game now. And why the Duke hate? Duke is a team that you either love or hate. No in between.
Dec.21 at 10:16 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
The Duke love/hate is the same as the Kobe love/hate. I’m looking up the highlights too, Izzo!
Dec.21 at 10:18 am
H to the izzo says:
I like Kobe,don’t love him.I do hate Duke.
Dec.21 at 10:20 am
white hot eboy says:
Actually, Holly, the Duke hate is WAY WORSE than 24 hate. I wish the University would burn to the ground. With no one inside, of course. And yeah, Smush is being paid to do nothing on the bench, which is similar to his production while on the court.
Dec.21 at 10:21 am
H to the izzo says:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_9lrjs_ZLU The game itself wasn’t great till about ten minutes left,Pitt made a good comeback.Remember the name DeJuan Blair also
Dec.21 at 10:23 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I love Kobe, don’t “hate” Duke. ahahhaahah thanks for clarifying that, Eboy. I read something about Smush wanting the player’s assoc. to help him get out of Miami but, because Riles is still paying him, they cannot intervene. So basically, Riley is still controlling Smush. If I am understanding it correctly, Riley is hanging onto his control, even while he wants to get rid of the guy! Funny stuff.
Dec.21 at 10:24 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
thanks, Izzo. Watching right now!
Dec.21 at 10:24 am
H to the izzo says:
Can the players association make you a productive player these days?
Dec.21 at 10:24 am
TADOne says:
Thanks Izzo. Man, that was a nice jab step then pull back by Fields.
Dec.21 at 10:26 am
TADOne says:
And Co sign Eboy about wishing Duke would burn down. Snobs, all of them.
Dec.21 at 10:27 am
H to the izzo says:
The fact that he hit it over a player that’s 8 inches taller than him makes it even more impressive.DeJuan Blair 15points 20rebounds and 3blocks at 6′7′’ and is still a freshman.
Dec.21 at 10:28 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
oh wow that was nice, Izzo! I love watching college teams celebrate wins, nothing is better.
Dec.21 at 10:28 am
H to the izzo says:
I hate almost all of the private schools except Gonzaga,I have a soft spot for them for some reason even though they are frauds.
Dec.21 at 10:33 am
Jared says:
DeJuan’s a real good player. It’s cool that Pitt didn’t fall off after losing two of their best players.
Dec.21 at 10:36 am
TADOne says:
Wow, I did not know that Pitt had that much talent. Blair looks like a shorter Beasley.
Dec.21 at 10:39 am
H to the izzo says:
I was thinking more like a shorter Dwight Howard clone.
Dec.21 at 10:40 am
BETCATS says:
lol
Dec.21 at 10:43 am
TADOne says:
D. Howard? That is a big comparison.
Dec.21 at 10:47 am
H to the izzo says:
Not saying he has his ability,just has that type of game.
Dec.21 at 10:55 am
Buzz Killington says:
one college game.
Dec.21 at 11:00 am
bobby stew says:
Is it me or did it seem like all the Pitt players were huge. Even the bench warmers looked like they had been lifting weights all day.
Dec.21 at 11:10 am
BETCATS says:
Iverson lives!
Dec.21 at 11:10 am
BETCATS says:
and Steve Frances doesnt?
Dec.21 at 11:38 am
TADOne says:
Off topic, but check out this youtube video of Marbury, Zeke, and Zach…funny ish:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAwwxDLU0s
Dec.21 at 12:25 pm
Sesa says:
Holly, I think Kobe and LeBron kinda negated each other. It’s charges taken, offensive rebounds and those tip-ins is the one that killed the Lakers.
I also noted that once Lamar Odom thought he catches on fire, he won’t involve other teammates in the half-court.
Dec.21 at 1:03 pm
jbn74sb says:
1. While the call against Fish was bad, it certainly didn’t decide the game.
2. Bynum again looked great, missed FT’s aside.
3. Verajao killed the Lakers. Not sure why Ronny didn’t play more and just match his energy. Too bad Kwame was not around to knock him on his -ss as well.
4. LeBron is so physically gifted it is ridiculous.
5. Kobe hasn’t looked good all year. Not sure if he has lost a step, just isn’t that into it, or is injured. Maybe a bit of all 3.
6. The Lakers have been in numerous close games (last night, Golden State, Orlando) where Kobe has had the opportunity to impose his will upon the game, and has essentially chosen not to. However, I wouldn’t write him off just yet.
Dec.21 at 1:10 pm
Myles Brown says:
Second chance points killed them last night.
Dec.21 at 2:06 pm
Michaelbchnn says:
Honestly i thought both Kobe and Lebron played like crap in the 4th. KObe in particular. But Lebron was shooting about 60% the majority of the game and finished only 12-29. The Cavs won becasue their bench outplayed the Lakers bench, mainly Anderson Varejou.
Dec.21 at 2:10 pm
Michaelbchnn says:
jbn74sb brings up a great point about Kobe. Every time he goes into his so-called “unselfish mode” he essentialy allows the Lakers to lose close games. It happened last year too when they went on those two huge losing streaks, and Kobe kept running the offense instead of taking over. It’s like he can’t do both at the same time.