The Post Up: Spurs top Magic
While David West’s star continues to shine bright
By: Holly MacKenzie
Another day, another victory for New Orleans. I was excited to watch CP3 and while he was fantastic, so was David West. The two all-stars combined for 66 points, 19 rebounds, 15 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocked shots. Not bad. What are you saying now, Rafer?
Looking through some stats last night I noticed that Paul and Nash are tied for first place in the league for assists, each averaging 11.2 per game. The difference for Paul is that he is averaging only 2.5 turnovers per game as compared to Nash who gives the ball away 3.8 times a night. Paul is also averaging 21.7 points per game while shooting 49.7% from the floor. Deron Williams is right behind these two, with averages of 19.3 points per game and 10.4 assists per game. The point guard game is looking good.
The match up between Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan was fun to watch last night. With Howard dropping 24 points and 21 rebounds on the night, the Magic still lost the game as they lost Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu early on. Jameer was done on the night after messing up his jaw by crashing into Howard and his brick wall frame.
Ginobili continues to shine for the Spurs, coming up big in the fourth quarter.
Elton Brand is looking to return to action before the end of the season for the Clippers. While I can’t remember the last time I watched a full Clippers game it’s good to hear he is ready to return after that horrible Achilles injury.
Chris Webber is set to retire after attempting his comeback with the Warriors and has a press conference scheduled for today to make his announcement. I didn’t understand the signing when it happened, but it always sucks to hear that a player has to hang up his shoes forever. Thanks for the great Lakers/Kings rivalry, Chris.
Drew Gooden came up big for the Bulls last night in their win against Atlanta. 31 points and 16 rebounds for the guy with the monster beard. That was one loss and one ugly third quarter that may come back to haunt the Hawks.
After hearing Josh Howard get a lot of criticism for his play since the Kidd trade, it was great to see him break out of his slump and score 32 as he helped the Mavericks get the win over the Clippers last night. I hope the Mavs are enjoying that win while they can because tomorrow they have that huge match up against Denver and it doesn’t get any easier from there.
Tonight there are 12 games on the schedule and some good match ups on the go, so get ready. Phoenix and Boston should be a great game with Boston coming off of that loss against the Sixers. I’m hoping the Suns aren’t complaining about officiating the whole night. New Orleans and Cleveland gives us LeBron and Chris Paul, always a good thing. I’m also looking forward to the Philly/Chicago game because those Sixers are playing that inspired ball that is so fun to watch.
As good as these game should be, I’m just waiting on tomorrow and that Denver/Dallas contest. The fight to the end of the season for these two teams is going to be one to watch. Let’s see how valuable Kidd winds up being for the Mavericks as they try to stay in the playoff race without Dirk.
New Orleans 114 Indiana 106
With the way that David West has played in his last two games the Hornets should send a thank you note to Rafer Alston for the ridiculous comments he made regarding West last week. Since his return from an ankle injury he has been on a tear and has more than proven his all-star status on a nightly basis. Last night, the Hornets were in Indiana to meet with the Pacers and the combo of West and Chris Paul were out looking for a win. After a close first half that ended with the Hornets leading 59-56, they opened the third quarter by putting together a 13-2 run to extend their lead to 72-58. At the start of the fourth, the Pacers had cut the lead to seven and with Chris Paul starting the period on the bench they were able to get within four points. As Paul returned to the floor, the Hornets stopped the Pacers initially, going back up by nine, but Indiana quickly came back and cut the lead to two points midway through the quarter. After a timeout by New Orleans, they clamped down defensively and the Pacers went cold from the floor, connecting on only two field goals the rest of the way through giving New Orleans the space they needed to go on to the victory. West finished with 35 points and 16 rebounds for the Hornets and Paul scored 31 points to go with 14 assists and 3 steals. Peja Stojakovic had 16 points and Tyson Chandler added 15 points and 7 rebounds. The Pacers were led by Danny Granger’s 26 points to go with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Mike Dunleavy and Shawne Williams each scored 17 points apiece in the loss.
San Antonio 107 Orlando 97
After the Magic lost starters Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson early on they were unable to stay with the Spurs, even with a 20/20 night from Dwight Howard. For the first two quarters they were able to keep up the pace and trailed only 58-56 at the break. In the second half, the Magic were able to take the lead and go ahead by as many as eight points before San Antonio got down to business. With the Spurs taking their methodical approach to trimming down the lead, they pressured the Magic and forced them to take the ball inside to beat them rather than allowing them to put up three-pointers. With Turkoglu and Nelson out Orlando had a tough time trying to get their offense running and as a result went scoreless for six minutes. The stretch ended with the Spurs going into the fourth up by seven, 80-73. While the Magic were able to get within two points, they suffered another scoring drought and with that the Spurs took advantage and went on to the victory. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 28 points and 5 assists off of the bench. Michael Finley scored 24 points, Tim Duncan had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks and Tony Parker added 11 points and 9 assists. Howard finished with 24 points and 21 rebounds before fouling out of the game while Rashard Lewis scored 24 points as well. Keyon Dooling had 19 points and Carlos Arroyo added 17.
Dallas 103 LA Clippers 90
In their first full game without Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks were able to get the 103-90 victory against the Clippers, thanks in large part to the play of Josh Howard. After struggling to find his place in the offense since the Mavs traded for Jason Kidd, he was able to carve out his place in the absence of Nowitzki and lead Dallas to the win. With the two teams trading leads throughout the first three quarters, the Clippers trailed by only two when Howard took over. Spanning the third and fourth quarters Howard went on a tear, scoring 20 of 26 Maverick points and at the end of his spurt his team was leading by 16 in the opening minutes of the fourth and the Clippers were unable to recover. Dallas out-rebounded LA 50-36 in the game. Howard finished with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals while Erick Dampier had 19 points and 17 rebounds and Jerry Stackhouse scored 20 points. Corey Maggette led the Clippers with 21 points, Tim Thomas had 13 points and Cuttino Mobley added 11.
Utah 128 Charlotte 108
With the Bobcats finding ways to survive scoring droughts, missed free throws and being killed on the boards, the Utah Jazz watched as their 20-point lead got whittled down to three early in the fourth quarter before they sprang into action and took control. With the lead down to 101-98, midway through the period the Jazz started their push and finished the game on a 27-8 run, holding the Bobcats to only three made field goals over the final 6:15 in the game. Utah connected on five three-pointers in the run, with three of them coming from Kyle Korver. Charlotte managed to stay in the game despite being out-rebounded 49-28 and having 19 turnovers in the contest. Utah was led by Carlos Boozer who had 28 points and 13 rebounds in the game. Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer scored 16 points apiece, Mehmet Okur had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Deron Williams scored 15 points to go with 14 rebounds. Matt Harpring had 18 points off of the bench. Jason Richardson had 26 points for the Bobcats, Gerald Wallace scored 21 points, Earl Boykins had 14 off of the bench and Raymond Felton scored 13 points to go with 6 assists in the loss.
Chicago 103 Atlanta 94
While Atlanta started out strong in their game against the Bulls and led 30-26 at the end of the first quarter an awful third quarter was too much for them to overcome and they dropped a 103-94 decision to the Bulls in Chicago last night. With the Hawks owning that last playoff spot in the East, the Bulls are on their heels and used a strong third quarter to take over the game as they outscored Atlanta 28-14 and built up a 12 point lead going into the fourth. The Hawks kept things interesting in the final period as they fought back and cut the lead to two points midway through the quarter, but they would not get any closer as the Bulls stepped up their defense, sparked by Luol Deng’s three blocked shots in the quarter. Drew Gooden was great for the Bulls, finishing with 31 points and 16 rebounds, while Kirk Hinrich scored 14 points and dished 10 assists. Ben Gordon had 16 points off of the bench, Deng finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks and Joakim Noah scored 13 points and grabbed 9 boards. The Hawks were led by Josh Childress and his 22 points off of the bench. Mike Bibby scored 18 points to go with 7 assists, Josh Smith scored 16 points, Joe Johnson had 15 points and Al Horford added 13 rebounds in the loss.
Portland 102 Washington 82
Facing a Portland team without LaMarcus Aldridge, the Wizards were unable to keep up and a slow start did them in as Portland rolled over them, 102-82 despite also losing Brandon Roy during the first quarter of the game. After the end of the opening period the Blazers led 31-22 and by the half they had pushed that lead to 59-43. While the Wizards would try to cut into the lead in the third they were unable and headed into the fourth still trailing by 16. They did not seriously threaten in the final quarter with the Blazer lead reaching as many as 24 before the final buzzer sounded. While Portland shot 49% for the game the Wizards connected on only 35% of their shots and were out-rebounded 55-36 by the Blazers. Martell Webster led Portland with 23 points, Travis Outlaw had 20, Jarrett Jack scored 17 points off of the bench Channing Frye had 10 points and Joel Przybilla added 17 rebounds. Caron Butler scored 19 points for the Wizards in the loss as Antonio Daniels had 14 points and Roger Mason scored 11. Antawn Jamison was held to only 9 points on 3-13 shooting.
82 Responses to “The Post Up: Spurs top Magic”
Mar.26 at 9:00 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Yeah, Drew.
Mar.26 at 9:08 am
TADOne says:
Nice game for Drew Gooden, reminiscent of his Kansas Jayhawk days. What exactly happened to Hedo?
Mar.26 at 9:10 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
sprained wrist, Tad. He’s supposed to get an MRI today, so we should know more soon.
Mar.26 at 9:11 am
Bryan says:
Steve Nash is also hitting 48% of his threes.
Mar.26 at 9:11 am
Justin says:
Hedo hurt his wrist. They’ll do MRIs today. Sucks, because I thought with Hedo, Magic would have beaten SAS.
Mar.26 at 9:12 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
and 51% of his field goals, Shia.
Mar.26 at 9:13 am
TADOne says:
Wow, sucks because he was having such a great season. Was it his shooting hand?
Mar.26 at 9:19 am
TADOne says:
David West is very good, but he needs to thank God everyday that he plays with Chris Paul. Tyson too. Paul gets West so many open looks, it’s ridiculous. The man is beyond description right now. Has any 3rd year player ever won MVP?
Mar.26 at 9:20 am
Justin says:
From the Orlando Slantinel: Turkoglu, starring as the club’s go-to guy this season, sprained his right wrist in a fall with 42 seconds left in the opening period and left with 10:19 remaining in the second. He had his hand wrapped afterward and said he’ll have an MRI today. X-rays were difficult to read because of swelling in the wrist.
“I’m crossing my fingers,” Turkoglu said. “I just fell on it. I hope it’s just a sprain. I hope it’s not something like it was broken and keeps me away.”
Mar.26 at 9:21 am
Russ Bengtson says:
TAD: Wes Unseld won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. 1969.
Mar.26 at 9:22 am
TADOne says:
Thanks Justin. It looks like Orlando is about to find out if Rashard is worth the money they gave him.
Mar.26 at 9:23 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Chamberlain won MVP as a rookie as well.
Mar.26 at 9:23 am
TADOne says:
Wow, didn’t realize that Russ. Thanks.
Mar.26 at 9:24 am
TADOne says:
I guess it was more prevalent back then for young guys to come in and dominate. Especially talented big men.
Mar.26 at 9:25 am
Bryan says:
Peace out Cwebb.
Mar.26 at 9:27 am
TADOne says:
PHX @ Boston should be a great game. Also, Hornets @ Cavs. I’ve got PHX in a close one and the Hornets going away in the 4th quarter. Who you got?
Mar.26 at 9:27 am
Bryan says:
Damn I miss having cable I never get to see games anymore.
Mar.26 at 9:27 am
Squirrel7 says:
With the end-of-season awards coming up, surely Manu is a lock for 6th-man? Damn, pretty much any other team would want him in their starting unit.
Mar.26 at 9:28 am
TADOne says:
Thanks for the Fab Five and Sacramento memories, Chris.
Mar.26 at 9:29 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Chamberlain obviously changed the whole face of basketball, but Unseld was just a beast. Listed at 6-7, 245, he came right in and averaged 18 boards a game, helping lead the Bullets to the best record in the L. He beat out some legit vets, too, it wasn’t like everyone else had bad years.
Mar.26 at 9:30 am
Squirrel7 says:
And is it a sign of how high Nasty Nash has set the bar for himself, if when I thought he was having a sub-par season, he’s still averaging 11+ assists, and shooting at a high clip from downtown?
Mar.26 at 9:35 am
TADOne says:
I do remember that Unseld had put up some astounding numbers while at Louisville.
Mar.26 at 9:36 am
Bryan says:
Wilt was still averaging 21.1 rebounds per game that season.I really would have loved to see Wilt play in this era.
Mar.26 at 9:38 am
Eboy says:
Two best memories of C-Webb in the NBA, the rookie season with Golden State and the Bullets run to the playoffs where they lost to the Bulls with Webb, Howard, Muresean, Cheney, Strickland etc., but played their asses off to get there. Enjoy your retirment.
Mar.26 at 9:39 am
Bryan says:
Rod Strickland was nasty.
Mar.26 at 9:39 am
Eboy says:
*retirement
Mar.26 at 9:39 am
TADOne says:
No doubt Shia. I think all of us would have loved to witness his exploits. Do you think your Suns can beat Boston tonight?
Mar.26 at 9:40 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
David West is for real, Rafer Alston is dumb. What is happening with Gooden? - he really seems to have stepped it up. If Avery let’s Kidd play (not likely) I think Dallas will be alright, even without Dirk they are still better than the Nets, Kidd needs to get back to his treble-doubling ways. Webber had crazy game, he’ll be missed.
Mar.26 at 9:40 am
TADOne says:
Rod Strickland is one of my favorite players, ever.
Mar.26 at 9:41 am
Bryan says:
I hope so since I’m pulling for them or the Lakers to win the chip.
Mar.26 at 9:41 am
Eboy says:
Rod and Kenny was always a toss up for me.
Mar.26 at 9:44 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Rod Strickland is probably one of the most underrated PG’s of all-time, absolutely loved his game - used to model my own game after his.
Mar.26 at 9:47 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Kenny although nice was to inconsistent for my liking. Strickland was the master of the 14-10-4-3 understated but almost ideal “get-everybody-clicking” point guard game.
Mar.26 at 9:48 am
Bryan says:
What up Eboy.
Mar.26 at 9:48 am
Ryne Nelson says:
@LZ - Gooden has been a pleasant surprise. He’s not going to be enough to carry the Bulls into the post-season, though. Chicago has eight more games at teams with winning records. The Hawks, for instance, have three games against teams with winning records.
Mar.26 at 9:50 am
Eboy says:
What’s up, Shia. Good to see you around this morning. LZ, since you patterned your game after Rod’s, did you always have that “medicated” look too?
Mar.26 at 9:54 am
Bryan says:
Appreciate the Easter love, sorry I didn’t return the favor. Rod Strickland was such a smooth beast. The type of dude who threw such slick passes so often they weren’t even slick anymore.This is a dumb memory but I remember when he hurt his hamstring or thigh on a fast break reached down with one hand and grimaced and then completed a no look drop off to a trailer for a bucket. The man as amazing in his prime and definitely should have been a multiple all star.
Mar.26 at 9:56 am
TADOne says:
I liked Kenny Anderson, but not like Strickland. Rod just played like he always had a chip on his shoulder and wanted to straight embarass whomever he was playing against. Kenny was always better in his G Tech days to me.
Mar.26 at 9:57 am
Bryan says:
Kenny could have been better thats what pisses me off about him.
Mar.26 at 9:59 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Ryne; As a Bulls-fan I would much rather they miss the playoffs and pick up a decent pick in next years draft, they are not winning anything this year anyhow. The team needs to be reschuffled (with Gordon the first to go in my opinion), just never thought that Gooden could be more than that 13-9 guy we saw in Cleveland. On a Bulls side note what happened to Deng?
Eboy; Hazed not medicated, but have to admit that as hard as I tried - my look was always a amped smile (winning) or a sour annoyed expression (losing) on the court, would have loved to master that “I’m just a smooth operator, this sh!t doesn’t really touch me” look.
Mar.26 at 10:02 am
Eboy says:
It takes years and years to get that look down, LZ. And Shia, I rememeber that hamstring play for some reason too. He was a Knick at that point, right?
Mar.26 at 10:03 am
Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
“The man as amazing in his prime and definitely should have been a multiple all star.” co-sign Bryan. Amazing that B.J. Armstrong, Hornacek, C. Gatling, Otis Thorpe or Kenny Anderson for that matter has more All-star appearences than Rod.
Mar.26 at 10:12 am
TADOne says:
For whatever reason, Rod was always black balled by the league from All Star games. I actually remember a few years that he wasn’t even on the ballot. Quite the disservice.
Mar.26 at 10:13 am
Bryan says:
No he was a a wizard
Mar.26 at 10:17 am
Eboy says:
A Wizard or a bullet, Shia? And TAD, his years in Portland didn’t help his career achievment list.
Mar.26 at 10:22 am
TADOne says:
This is true, but he had some great seasons in Washington, and was 2nd team All NBA a couple of times. Regardless, I will never figure out why the Knicks drafted him when they had Mark Jackson.
Mar.26 at 10:27 am
Bryan says:
A wizard for sure.
Mar.26 at 10:28 am
TADOne says:
I really wish Hornets @ Cavs was on TV tonight. Two MVP candidates going at it should be prime time TV.
Mar.26 at 10:30 am
Eboy says:
Co-sign.
Mar.26 at 10:34 am
TADOne says:
Hey Eboy, are you watching the train wreck that is the Heat at the Knicks tonight?
Mar.26 at 10:37 am
Eboy says:
Uhmmmmmmmmmmm………………………..well, I’m kind of obligated to, but I really, really can’t fathom watching a game where Chris Quinn and Nate Robinson could be the respective high scorers for their teams.
Mar.26 at 10:39 am
People's Princess says:
what up people?? good mornin all…
Mar.26 at 10:39 am
TADOne says:
Well hey, Russ could actually be watching that mess live, so count your lucky stars. But I haven’t seen any game notes from him for quite some time, so he is probably boycotting.
Mar.26 at 10:39 am
TADOne says:
Whats up PDub?
Mar.26 at 10:40 am
Eboy says:
Morning, PP.
Mar.26 at 10:42 am
People's Princess says:
C Webb RIP…if not for Magic,dude would be the best passer above 6′8″,like ever..
Mar.26 at 10:42 am
People's Princess says:
C Webb’s career..damn typo..
Mar.26 at 10:45 am
People's Princess says:
Heat-Knicks blech..David Lee’s the only thing keeping the Underwear men relevant..And Eboy that Joel Anthony kid looks serviceable,eh??
Mar.26 at 10:50 am
Eboy says:
He’s ok, PP. Needs a LOT of seasoning though. Could stick next season.
Mar.26 at 10:58 am
TADOne says:
Hey E, did you get my email address off of the myspace message I sent you?
Mar.26 at 10:59 am
Eboy says:
Uhm, I probably didn’t notice it, but I’ll get it, though.
Mar.26 at 11:04 am
TADOne says:
Cool. I was going to tell you to email me.
Mar.26 at 11:13 am
Eboy says:
I did!
Mar.26 at 11:16 am
TADOne says:
Not on myspace dummie, but one to my yahoo account.
Mar.26 at 11:23 am
Eboy says:
I did, fu*ker. Check your inbox.
Mar.26 at 11:53 am
RV says:
the rafer-west situation was blown out of proportion, rafer was getting drilled with all these questions about the rockets being lucky to play teams with injured stars, out of frustration he said West wasn’t a star, but he was just trying to say West isn’t a Yao Ming, he also talked about Gasol, but it only blew up when CP3 decided to respond. I think only the rockets-hornets game was a statement game for West, since then he’s been playing well, but because he has to for them to get homecourt.
Mar.26 at 11:58 am
TADOne says:
Yeah, but West has been playing well ALL season, so he is a star.
Mar.26 at 1:19 pm
albie1kenobi says:
nice chill day here at the Post Up. i guess everyone’s kicking it at Sam’s cwebb farewell column.
i got boston and cavs winning tonight, simply because i don’t think suns nor hornets can beat the home team. hornets do have a better chance than the suns at taking the game though.
Mar.26 at 1:26 pm
RV says:
I did make it sound like he’s only played well lately, but i mean he’s stepped it up as of late, especially coming back from those ankle injuries, but yeah he’s been solid all yr
Mar.26 at 1:32 pm
TADOne says:
Albie: I have the road teams, Hornets and Suns. Suns in a close one and CP3 upping his MVP status.
Mar.26 at 2:53 pm
Permaculture says:
Re Rod Strickland: I remember him coming in to sub for Mark Jackson on the Knicks (damn I hated that team’s plodding style) and he would be a revelation: speed, passing. And he got like zero playing time–inexplicable to me tho I do remember the odd pass into the stands. But I’m thinking that the slow “style” the club played didn’t allow for his talents, nor M Jax starting ahead of him.
Mar.26 at 3:15 pm
albie1kenobi says:
TAD: i wouldn’t be surprise at all if the road teams win. i think boston has the edge because of the two previous losses and for being at home. cavs really only have home court as their only advantage on their side. well, that and Lebron, but of course Double First Name ain’t no slouch either.
if you can only watch ONE game, which one would you watch?
Mar.26 at 3:17 pm
Holly MacKenzie says:
Hornets/Cavs is my pick. Although, Amare and KG got crazy intense the last game.
Mar.26 at 3:26 pm
namik says:
Dang slow day…..And I don’t remember KG being all that intense. I remember because I was dissapointed that he didnt smack Amare in the face when he(Amare) was all in his face.
Mar.26 at 3:35 pm
TADOne says:
Paul and James would be my pick, but ESPN chose to show the Green Machine. No matter, i’ll watch what I want.
Mar.26 at 3:36 pm
TADOne says:
KG is intense, not crazy. There is a difference.
Mar.26 at 3:40 pm
namik says:
I meant figuratively(?) TAD. I hate that about KG and now Kobe. Before if someone tlaked smack, they would go all out. Now KG in his attempts to calm down and Kobe is in his quest to be a nicer person, become passive because they “don’t want it to be about them”. Pisses me off.
Mar.26 at 3:45 pm
TADOne says:
It’s not like either of them two have to talk sh*t, but I understand your point. I think Stern and the rules he has put in place have also curtailed some of that.
Mar.26 at 4:44 pm
what says:
If the 3rd quarter didn’t exist the Hawks would be at least 3rd in the conference.
Mar.26 at 6:25 pm
albie1kenobi says:
seems like the consensus is the battle for the MVP, which i agree. although both suns and celtics feature 3 big time stars…
my plan is to watch the cavs/hornets live and record the celtics/suns on my dvr (shout out to TAD!). tonight is gonna be fun coz we ain’t gonna see either match up in the playoffs! (there’s a possibility the suns and celts meet in the finals, but i HIGHLY doubt the Suns can make it there.)
Mar.27 at 7:41 am
hursty says:
suns got OWNED!, dwest is clutch. paul can pass. Tmac still aint got a trible double (23,11,9) for houston… spurs are rolling and NY won in overtime…wtf.
Mar.27 at 7:46 am
hursty says:
holly, Kobe was fired up last night, that call on Carroll on the 3 make in the 3rd was bs. was it same play in the 4th, i mangaged to miss every replay.