NBA Triple Threat: Your daily roundup of last night's action in the Association.New Jersey 103 Detroit 96
The highlight of this game was obviously Allen Iverson’s debut. He gave his new team a solid game with his 24 points and 6 assists. The Pistons had started on fire going into the 2nd quarter with a 27-14 lead. After that the Nets took over, outscoring the Pistons in all the remaining quarters. They were led by former Wisconsin Badger Devin Harris who had a career high 38 points. There will be an obvious overreaction to the Iverson trade tomorrow, but he wasn’t the issue tonight. The Pistons only shot 37% tonight, but Iverson shot 50% and hit 11 of 13 free throws. If he can play this effectively throughout the season the Pistons will be well on their way towards a second place finish in the East. Of course, that really wouldn’t be anything new.
Denver 108 Dallas 105
Unlike the Pistons, the Nuggets decided they would win in their new toy's debut. Chauncey Billups addressed his hometown before the game and went on to have a 15 points and 3 assists game. This game was competitive the whole way through as the Mavericks hit a 3 with 1.1 seconds to pull within one and Gerald Green had a shot at the buzzer to tie the game but missed. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with a very good 28 point, 8 rebound, 6 assist game. The Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowitzki's double-double and Gerald Green's surprising 13 point performance off of the bench. The big story was Billup's debut, and while he was far less effective than Allen Iverson, his team won. I think the Nuggets fans are just okay with that.
Utah 104 Oklahoma City 97
Normally this game wouldn't mean much of anything. However, Jerry Sloan became the first coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team. The Jazz were led by Carlos Boozer's 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jeff Green and Kevin Durant countered with a combined 46 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz won again without Deron Williams and continue to look like a legitimate contender for the NBA title. At 5-0, they have been as impressive as any team thus far in the season.
Denver 108 Dallas 105
Unlike the Pistons, the Nuggets decided they would win in their new toy's debut. Chauncey Billups addressed his hometown before the game and went on to have a 15 points and 3 assists game. This game was competitive the whole way through as the Mavericks hit a 3 with 1.1 seconds to pull within one and Gerald Green had a shot at the buzzer to tie the game but missed. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with a very good 28 point, 8 rebound, 6 assist game. The Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowitzki's double-double and Gerald Green's surprising 13 point performance off of the bench. The big story was Billup's debut, and while he was far less effective than Allen Iverson, his team won. I think the Nuggets fans are just okay with that.
Utah 104 Oklahoma City 97
Normally this game wouldn't mean much of anything. However, Jerry Sloan became the first coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team. The Jazz were led by Carlos Boozer's 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jeff Green and Kevin Durant countered with a combined 46 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz won again without Deron Williams and continue to look like a legitimate contender for the NBA title. At 5-0, they have been as impressive as any team thus far in the season.
Best Lines
Devin Harris 38 points 5 rebounds 2 assists
Caron Butler 30 points 7 rebounds 3 assists
Chris Paul 20 points 10 assists 6 steals
LeBron James 27 points 9 rebounds 8 assists
Does Sergio Rodriguez want out of Portland? Supposedly he isn’t happy with his spot in the rotation. I imagine a good amount of teams would be interested in him.
Ever wondered how fast each team plays? The link gives you a fun graph that shows the pace and effectiveness of each team in the NBA.
The NBDL’s Draft was tonight. An interesting interview with the NBDL’s VP of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.
The NBDL’s Draft was tonight. An interesting interview with the NBDL’s VP of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.
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