NBA Triple Threat: Your (almost) daily roundup of last night's action in the Association:Pistons own Suns CF already talked about this game, but it can't be emphasized enough how big of an ass kicking it was. The Suns better get it together with Shaq soon, as the West does not leave a lot of margin for error. The Pistons, as CF said, stamped themselves as legit championship contenders.
New look Cavs start smoothly Yes, it can be easy to look good against the Grizzlies, but Cleveland has to be pleased how things looked with their 4 new players. The Cavs jumped out ahead early, led by 28 in the second quarter, and cruised to a 109-89 victory. Ben Wallace has 12 points, tying his season high, and 10 rebounds. Delonte West also started, while Szczerbiak and Joe Smith came off the bench. All produced near their season averages. Given what's going in Phoenix, this is definitely a positive sign for Cleveland, but how will things go against a tougher opponent?
Rockets win 12th straight Quietly, the Rockets have been on fire, defeating the Bulls 110-97 for their 12th straight win, and 16th in their last 17. The new look Bulls kept it close for three quarters, but Houston pulled away in the fourth to quickly end the uncertainty of the outcome. The amazing thing is despite the big win streak, the Rockets are still only 7th in the West. Of course, nobody will believe the Rockets until they make the second round of the playoffs.
Best Lines
- Jason Kidd, Dal: 12 pts, 7 rebs, 17 ast, 4 stl...That's more what Dallas was looking for. Word of caution: it came against the Wolves.
- Paul Pierce, Bos: 30 pts, 12-14 FG, 4-5 3PT, 7 rebs, 5 ast...Thanks in part to Pierce's insane shooting night, the Celtics got back on track, defeating the fading Blazers.
- Andrea Bargnani, Tor: 25 pts, 9-17 FG, 5-10 3PT, 7 rebs, 5 ast, 2 blk...Nice of Bargnani to remember he's a #1 pick.
- Artest's Agent Says Opt-Out Unlikely - Translation: My client's market value is now lower than the $7.4 million he would make next season.
- Hornets Looking at P.J. Brown - If Brown has anything left, he should fit well with the Hornets, where he played a number of years. New Orleans is also waiting on if the Birdman will be reinstated.
- Brent Barry in high demand - Most of the West powers want him, and why not? It's hard to get a sharpshooter with that much championship experience for practically nothing.
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