ROUNDBALL

It was a very cold night in Western, NY last night and with snow on tap for the next couple days, it makes for a great weekend for staying inside and watching some good basketball games. Today features a ton of great college matchups, including a Syracuse/Villanova matchup and a showdown with Texas and Kansas. I am obviously biased and will be closely watching the KU crew in action.

There were ten games last night. Several of these games ended in blowouts, as the Magic, Celtics, and Hornets won by an average of 35 points last night. Dwight Howard had a big night in limited minutes (31 and 19 in 30 minutes), while Ryan Anderson continued to help me catch up in three pointers and rebounds in my fantasy league. Keep playing him, Ron. Sorry to keep hating on Utah, but I really think the Jazz are one of the most mediocre top tier teams the league has ever seen. They lost their third in a row to the Celtics last night as Deron Williams had one of the worst games of his career. Shaquille O'neal cotinues to show his age, this time hurting his hip. He said it was related to his fall near his home last week. Get a cane, already. The Celtics are likely to ease him back into the lineup. The Hornets simply humiliated the Hawks on their home court, using a 31-5 run in the second and third quarter, in going to beat them 100-59. Justin Bieber didn't really seem all that impressed.


New Jersey, Phoenix, and Milwaukee all had easy victories last night as well. The Nets won their second consecutive game of the supposed "post Carmelo" era, handing the Pistons a 15 point road loss. I was watching the Knicks game so I didn't really tune in, but this had to be one of the most boring game of the season. Tracy McGrady did get into it for a second though, but it was laughable. The Nets now have as many wins as they did all of last season. The Suns used seven three pointers from Channing Frye and a double double from the Polish Hammer in defeating the Wizards by fifteen points. Curiously, John Wall and Steve Nash each had 14 assists and 5 turnovers. I could see Steve Nash and Grant Hill playing basketball well into their fifties. The Bucks were lucky enough to run into Dan Gilbert's D League circus last night. I am starting to wonder if that curse that they tried putting on Lebron is starting to negatively impact the Cavaliers. At least they are going to reduce ticket prices next season.

The Knicks had trouble getting it going against the Spurs last night, losing their fifth in a row. This Spurs team continues to coast right along. Tony Parker, Dejuan Blair, and Tim Duncan all had great games last night. Tim Duncan's was one of those classic efficient stat lines: 21 points (8/15 fg, 5/6 ft), 16 rebounds, 8 assists, and five blocks. Him and Blair were a nightmare for Amar'e Stoudemire all night, forcing an 8/25 shooting night from the big man.

The Rockets lost a tough one to the Grizzlies last night. One of those games that you want to walk away with, but you just can't find someone to close the game out for you (Carmelo??). Kevin Martin is great, but the Rockets need a superstar to decoy so Martin can find more open shots late in games like this. Aaron Brooks fucked up big time at the end of this game and I won't be forgetting about it until the Rockets get back to .500.

The Lakers and Warriors won the two late games last night. Kobe Bryant didn't quite have 81 points, instead scoring 18. The Lakers had four other players score between 17 and 19 points, in handing Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets defeat. Carmelo Anthony continues to play well. I sent a tweet to Barack Obama yesterday asking him if he could possibly mediate a deal to get Carmelo to the Rockets. While I realize Obama is a Bulls fan, I hope he can do his part to help me. The Warriors were able to defeat the Kings in overtime last night. At the end of the overtime, Monta Ellis sprained his ankle and had to be helped off the court. He is having a great season, so you have to hope he gets back on the court quickly. In the meantime, I am sure Stephen Curry will no doubt fill the void that Ellis will leave.



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