Posts Tagged ‘houston rockets’
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
James Harden (Derral Chen, Wikimedia Commons)
When the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder went up 3-0 in their respective series, it just seemed inevitable before they would close out the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets respectively.
However times have changed. In the Thunder/Rockets series, Oklahoma City just seems completely out of sync without point guard Russell Westbrook, and it is clear that James Harden is feeling more and more comfortable knocking down three-pointers, as he did last night when he recorded seven shots from beyond the arc in a 107-100 win over Oklahoma City.
All of a sudden, the Rockets are only down 3-2 in the series and have the momentum heading into Houston for game six.
Meanwhile in the New York/Boston series, the Celtics beat the Knicks 92-86 last night to pull within one game in that series (3-2 Knicks). The Celtics are showing great experience at the moment. Kevin Garnett does not seem like a player who is about to retire. Garnett delivered a double double last night (16 points and 18 rebounds).
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Tags: boston celtics, houston rockets, james harden, kevin garnett, memphis grizzlies, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, oklahoma city thunder, san antonio spurs
Posted in NBA |
Friday, November 16th, 2012
Once again this weekend I’ll be watching four kinds of football from both side of the border.
Th most interesting matchup will be the Western Final on Sunday afternoon between the Calgary Stampeders (12-6) and the British Columbia Lions (13-5) (2:30pm, TSN). This week there has been more drama in the Stampeders’ dressing room than an entire week of the Young and the Restless, and for that I give the Lions the advantage.
Travis Lulay is expected to be at the top of his game and the Lions are well rested. My only concern however is that it has been a while since they played a very meaningful game, so it will be interesting to see how they come out mentally.
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Tags: anthony calvillo, baltimore ravens, boston celtics, brett blaszko, british columbia lions, Calgary Stampeders, chad kackert, chad owens, cleveland browns, dallas cowboys, deMar deRozan, denver broncos, guillaume bourassa, houston rockets, james harden, kenyon barber, Kobe Bryant, kyle quinlan, los angeles lakers, maxime boutin, mike d'antoni, montreal alouettes, ohio state buckeyes, peyton manning, pittsburgh steelers, san diego chargers, toronto argonauts, Toronto Raptors, travis lulay, university of acadia axemen, university of calgary dinos, university of laval rouge et or, university of mcmaster mauraders, university of oregon ducks, university of stanford cardinal, urban meyer, wisconsin badgers
Posted in Amateur Sports, CFL, Home, NBA, NFL, University Sports |
Friday, October 26th, 2012
Joe Johnson (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)
The 2012-13 NBA season starts Tuesday. Yes, I know the Los Angeles Lakers now have Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Miami Heat have Ray Allen and the Toronto Raptors have Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields, but I think it is time to look at other significant off-season moves in the offseason.
The Dallas Mavericks have changed their roster significantly, and got younger in the process. In are German center Chris Kaman (from New Orleans), shooting guard O.J. Mayo (from Memphis) and point guard Darren Collison (from Indiana). All three averaged in double digits in scoring. Out meanwhile are Jason Kidd (New York) and Jason Terry (Boston).
Another team that has a completely different look are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are gambling on Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko from Utah (11.7 ppg) and Brandon Roy from Portland who is coming out of retirement at the age of 28.
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Tags: andre iguodala, andrei kirilenko, andrew bynum, Brandon Roy, brooklyn nets, chris kaman, dallas mavericks, darren collison, denver nuggets, goran dragic, houston rockets, jason richrdson, jeremy lin, jermaine o'neal, joe johnson, luis scola, marvin williams, michael beasley, milwaukee bucks, minnesota timberwolves, mo williams, new orleans hornets, New York Knicks, o.j. mayo, philadelphia 76ers, phoenix suns, raymond felton, robin lopez, ryan anderson, samuel dalembert, trevor ariza, utah jazz, Washington Wizards
Posted in NBA |
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
Kyle Lowry (Randy Stern, Wikimedia Commons)
It is clear the Toronto Raptors wanted Steve Nash and weren’t ready to continue with the status quo at the point guard position the upcoming season.
On Thursday, Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo announced the Raptors have reached an agreement with Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for a sign and trade. The Rockets will receive a future lottery pick in the deal. Nash ended up with the Los Angeles Lakers last night even though the Raptors were offering significantly more money.
Last season Lowry had 14.3 points per game and 6.6 assists per game. Lowry joins Landry Fields, who was acquired earlier in the week from the New York Knicks.
Lowry and Fields look to join a Toronto team that already has Andrea Bargnani at center, Demar DeRozan at shooting guard and restricted free agent Jerryd Bayless who might be better off moving from shooting guard to small forward more regularly.
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Tags: houston rockets, jonas valanciunas, kyle lowry, los angeles lakers, Steve Nash, Toronto Raptors
Posted in NBA |
Monday, April 30th, 2012
I am a little mad at myself today. I thought when the Memphis Grizzlies had a 21 point lead in the third quarter Sunday night that game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal was over.
I recorded Harry’s Law, the season finale of The Good Wife and Law & Order, and watched those programs instead of a basketball game that was all but over.
Well, I guess it wasn’t over. The Grizzlies actually extended their lead to 27 points before blowing it. In one of the greatest collapses of all-time, the Grizzlies gave up 26 of 27 points in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies actually had a fourth quarter lead of 95-71 with 9:12 left before the Clippers went on an improbable 26-1 run to take a 97-96 lead. Were these the Memphis Grizzlies or Vancouver Grizzlies?
The teams exchanged baskets before the Clippers pulled our a 99-98 win. Nick Young led the way with 19 points coming off the bench.
In other action, Andrew Bynum tied an NBA record for most blocks in a game with 10 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 103-88 in game one of the Western Conference Quarterfinal. Other players to have recorded 10 blocks in a playoff game are Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets and Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz.
Tags: andrew bynum, hakeem olajuwon, houston rockets, Los ANgeles Clippers, los angeles lakers, mark eaton, memphis grizzlies, nick young, utah jazz
Posted in NBA |
Friday, March 16th, 2012
Steve Nash (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)
The NBA Trade Deadline came and went yesterday. My initial reaction was simple.
Steve Nash, Canada’s greatest basketball ever, is still a Phoenix Sun and his chances of winning a championship are dwindling. He’s 38 years old, passes the ball with absolute ease, but at this stage off his career is stuck as a Sun on a team that needs a couple of years at least to rebuild in order to be a contender for a Championship.
Sure, they beat the Clippers last night without him, but last night’s performance by the Suns simply doesn’t happen often.
I’m not saying Steve Nash should be another Ray Bourque and be a professional athlete that asked to be traded to win a Championship before he retires, but that the Suns should have looked into it. Nash deserves a chance. The likelihood of Nash being a Sun next season is 50/50, and the Suns missed a great chance to get something for him.
Sure, there were trades yesterday. The Portland Trail Blazers traded Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a first round pick. The Milwaukee Bucks traded Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, and then the Warriors traded Jackson to San Antonio for Richard Jefferson.
We also saw Washington acquire Nene Hilario from Denver, Houston acquire Derek Fisher from the Los Angeles Lakers and Marcus Camby from Portland, Indiana acquire Leandro Barbosa from Toronto, and two coaches leave–Mike D’Antoni in New York and Nate McMillan in Portland.
But with all of the movement, Steve Nash, the greatest point guard in the game remains playing under the sun in Phoenix. Are you as disappointed as I am?
Tags: andrew bogut, derek fisher, ekpe udoh, gerald wallace, golden state warriors, houston rockets, indiana pacers, kwame brown, leandro barbosa, marcus camby, mehmet okur, milwaukee bucks, monta ellis, nene hilario, phoenix suns, portland trail blazers, Ray Bourque, richard jefferson, san antonio spurs, shawne williams, stephen jackson, Steve Nash, Washington Wizards
Posted in NBA |
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
Rick Adelman (Yahoo! Images)
I watched the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time last night and was very impressed.
The Timberwolves went into Los Angeles and beat a Clippers team 109-97. A major reason for their victory is that Head Coach Rick Adelman seemed to focus defensively on all of the Clippers except their two star players– Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
While doing play-by-play for the University of Calgary Dinos Women’s Basketball team in 2003, I saw Dinos’ head coach Shawnee Harle execute a similar defensive strategy against the University of Winnipeg to perfection. The fundamental approach is let the entire team you are facing beat you.
Tactically, Rick Adelman is an underrated basketball genious. Even though he has never won an NBA Finals, he has gone 963-633 while coaching the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and now Minnesota Timberwolves. What he has been able to do in Minnesota is amazing. Last season the Timberwolves were the worst team in the NBA defensively. Now they’re in the middle of the pack, and Minnesota is fighting for a playoff spot.
All throughout the game it went through my head, is why didn’t the Raptors make more of a push for Adelman when they had the chance after being fired by the Rockets? Why did they decide to settle on Dwane Casey instead? Adelman has more experience and has never been afraid to coach in smaller, less profile basketball markets. The Raptors blew an opportunity here my not going after the best candidate on the market stronger.
Tags: golden state warriors, houston rockets, minnesota timberwolves, portland trail blazers, rick adelman, sacramento kings, shawnee harlee, Toronto Raptors, university of calgary dinos
Posted in NBA |
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Chris Paul (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)
In one of the more bizarre events in the history of the National Basketball Association, point guard Chris Paul is going to Los Angeles after all–just not to the Lakers but the Clippers.
Paul went from the New Orleans Hornets to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and a first round draft choice.
Paul was originally dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal involving the Houston Rockets. The trade however was blocked by the NBA, who controversially currently owns the Hornets. According to the Associated Press, NBA Commissioner David Stern told General Manager Dell Demps, the Hornets could do better than acquiring Lamar Odom, or better known as Mr. Khloe Kardashian. Odom, meanwhile, would be later dealt to the Dallas Mavericks.
Paul is the best player in the deal between the Clippers and Hornets. The four-time all-star point guard led the NBA with 2.4 steals per game in the regular season and 11.5 assists per game in the playoffs.
What is your take on Stern getting involved in the Hornets basketball operations? Should they have the right to own the Hornets when their original owner was cash-strapped and couldn’t find someone to buy the team?
In other NBA news, Richard Hamilton has signed a three year deal worth $15 million to join the Chicago Bulls. In three years with the Washington Wizards and nine years with the Detroit Pistons, Hamilton averaged 17.7 points per game.
Tags: al-farouq aminu, chicago bulls, chris kaman, chris paul, dallas mavericks, david stern, dell demps, detroit pistons, eric gordon, houston rockets, khloe kardashian, lamar odom, Los ANgeles Clippers, los angeles lakers, new orleans hornets, richard hamilton, Washington Wizards
Posted in NBA |
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Yao Ming (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)
The most talked about retirement in the National Basketball Association over the last two weeks was finally made official.
On Wednesday, Yao Ming, the greatest Asian basketball player of all time officially announced his retirement at the age of 30.
Come to think of it, it would be kind of nice to retire at the age of 30.
Unfortunately a major reason Ming has had to retire from the Houston Rockets is because of constant stress fractures in his foot. According to the Associated Press, he has had to miss 250 games over the last six years. The foot issue severely limited his ability and an opportunity to be a powerful presence in the middle of the court, like he was early on in his career.
Ming was the first player taken in the 2002 NBA draft, and was selected to start for the Western Conference in eight NBA all-star games.
Interestingly though, even if Ming decided to play this season, he might not have had an NBA to play in. There is a strong possibility that the NBA season could be a wash because of the current lockout. Members of the NBA and NBA players’ association are expected to meet Friday, but the meeting is not expected to include NBA Commissioner David Stern or NBA Union Executive Director Billy Hunter.
Tags: billy hunter, david stern, houston rockets, yao ming
Posted in NBA |
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Kobe Bryant’s father is returning to an elite role in the WNBA.
According to the Calgary Sun, Joe Bryant is taking over from Jennifer Gillom as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
This will be Bryant’s second time at the helm of the Sparks. He coached the team from 2005-07 and had a regular season record of 29-11 over that time. In the NBA, Bryant played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets from 1975-83.
After leaving Houston in 1983, Bryant spent seven years playing professional basketball in Italy. Since 1992, Bryant has coached in the NCAA, Japan and Italy.
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Tags: henry bibby, houston rockets, jennifer gillom, joe bryant, Kobe Bryant, kurt rambis, los angeles sparks, michael cooper, mike bibby, minnesota lynx, minnesota timberwolves, orlando woolridge, philadelphia 76ers, san antonio silver stars, san diego clippers
Posted in NBA |
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Jay Triano (Bing Images)
The Toronto Raptors won’t have Jay Triano as their head coach next season.
Triano will take on a new role as Special Assistant to Raptors’ President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.
The Raptors were the third worst team in the NBA this season with a record of 22-60. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63) and Minnesota Timberwolves (17-65) were worse.
Triano, from Niagara Falls, Ontario, cannot be blamed exclusively for the Raptors’ downfall this season. The Raptors were not in a great position to win, having lost their best player, Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat last summer.
The Raptors were just not in a financial position to go on the free agent market and replace a player of Bosh’s talents last year.
Injuries were also a major factor. Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Leandro Barbosa and Linas Kleiza all missed significant time due to various ailments.
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Tags: Andrea Bargnani, atlanta hawks, boston celtics, bryan colangelo, Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, golden state warriors, houston rockets, jay triano, jeff van gundy, jose calderon, lawrence frank, leandro barbosa, Leo Rautins, linas leiza, mark jackson, maurice cheeks, mike d'antoni, minnesota timberwolves, new jersey nets, New York Knicks, oklahoma city thunder, Orlando Magic, philadelphia 76ers, pj carlesimo, portland trail blazers, rick adelman, sacramento kings, seattle supersonics, stan van gundy, Toronto Raptors
Posted in NBA |
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Shaquille O'Neal (Steve Lipofsky, Wikimedia Commons)
One of the greatest basketball players in NBA history has decided to call it a career.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most remarkable basketball players I have seen. I would place him second on the list of the best basketball players to have played in the NBA since I first started watching in 1986, just behind Michael Jordan.
During his career, O’Neal won four NBA Championships, three consecutive titles with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002, and another with the Miami Heat in 2006.
A product of Louisiana State, O’Neal was 7’1″, 325 pounds, and during his prime one of the most intimidating centers the game has ever seen.
A first overall pick of the Orlando Magic, O’Neal singlehandedly led the Magic to their first three series wins and an Eastern Conference Championship in 1995 before being swept by the Houston Rockets.
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Tags: boston celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, houston rockets, kareem abdul-jabbar, karl malone, los angeles lakers, Miami Heat, michael jordan, Orlando Magic, phoenix suns, Shaquille O'Neal, wilt chamberlain
Posted in NBA |
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
Best Served Cold?
The Miami Heat didn’t have to wait long for a chance to enact a bit of revenge for their worst loss of the season…but could they do it?
On March 4th, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Heat by 30 points, which came a night after Miami blew a huge lead in a loss to Orlando and a few days before they were said to be crying in the locker room following a loss to the Bulls.
The sports world had a good laugh at their expense over “Crygate,” but the Heat seem to have really pulled it together (at least for now) since being embarrassed by their head coach, Erik Spoelstra.
Miami beat the LA Lakers last Thursday, they whooped the Grizzlies on Saturday and on Monday, the Heat recorded the biggest win of them all: a 110-80 victory over the Spurs. That’s right, they lost by 30 in Texas and won by 30 at AmericanAirlines Arena! (more…)
Tags: basketball, bill spooner, Chris Bosh, comeback, double-double, Dwyane Wade, Edmonton, houston rockets, injury, jon krawczynski, kevin love, kurt rambis, la lakers, LeBron James, Miami Heat, minnesota timberwolves, NBA, ncaa tournament, Orlando Magic, peter forsberg, ref, san antonio spurs, yao ming, yeg
Posted in NBA |
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