Ballin': Knicks' Bench Mob Does it Again, New York Within Three Games of Philly
By Jason McIntyre
Oklahoma City 92, Philadelphia 88: The 76ers gagged at the end and fell to a disappointing 2-10 in games decided by seven points or less. That’s obviously going to fuel the “they don’t have a superstar!” chatter once again, but if you hear anyone talking about it, say to them, “where is Philly just going to find a Superstar?” I still think their best option would be to unloaded a wing player or two for Pau Gasol, who would give them the low-post threat they lack while unloading salary. I’m pretty sure Gasol grabs that final rebound instead of letting Russell Westbrook sneak in for his 13th.
Philly’s lead in the Atlantic is down to three (the Knicks won, see below). Kevin Durant didn’t quite throw a punch at Evan Turner, but he almost did.
Golden State 85, Atlanta 82: A night after getting curb-stomped by Indiana, the Warriors ruined Joe Johnson’s return to the lineup with a solid road victory. Two oddities from the box score: Stephen Curry played just three seconds and Dominic McGuire, starting in place of Curry, played 35 minutes, took one shot (missed) and collected 15 rebounds. He also guarded Johnson, and hounded the Hawks’ leading scorer into a 6-for-17 night.
Chicago 96, San Antonio 89: Who can hold Derrick Rose? I mean, other than LeBron? Nobody. Rose went for 29 points – you’ll enjoy the montage above – and the Bulls remain just 1/2 game behind the Heat in the East. This was just the 2nd loss at home for the Spurs this season.
New York 120, Cleveland 103: The Knicks trailed by 17 in the first half, and then the reserves blitzed the weary Cavs in the second half. This Baron Davis oop to JR Smith was nasty. Steve “Stevie Wonder” Novak scored 17 points in 17 minutes (five 3-pointers) to lead the bench mob, which scored 50 points. Remember how I thought Amare would be moved to the 2nd unit? At some point, D’Antoni is going to have to shake up the starting lineup, because it has struggled out of the gate against Atlanta and Miami, while the reserves have got them back in both games.
In addition to that alley-oop, Jeremy Lin made this shot. He finished with 19 points, 13 assists, and one turnover.
It would be remiss of me not to mention Tyson Chandler (13 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks). His hustle and tenacity are infectious. Love watching him.
LA Lakers 104, Minnesota 89: A night after beating up the the Paper Clips, there was no way the Wolves were winning this one. Kobe donned a mask and dropped 31-8-7 on the Wolves. Ricky Rubio might be my new NBA idol. Below the rim, crafty, eyes and mind always two steps ahead.
Detroit 109, Charlotte 94: Didn’t highlight this game because of the Stuckey dunk, but you know I’m a Georgetown guy, and Greg Monroe scored 19 points and collected 20 rebounds.