| 24 March 2009
This isn't a game that the Lakers really have to worry about in March. They know that they're the better team. They know that they can play at about 80% efficiency against the Thunder and still have a good chance at coming out on top. This is the type of match-up in which the Lakers should work on wrinkles they want to put into their system and see where their bench is physically and production wise. And Los Angeles came away with some mixed results for their roles players.
Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, and Josh Powell all had good games off the bench. Jordan Farmar didn't do anything spectacular in the game, but he didn't turn the ball over in 23 minutes and kept the offense moving for the most part. Luke Walton scored efficiently and had a nice overall game. Josh Powell scored 14 points in 21 minutes. His confidence on the court with the second unit is key when the Lakers realize that Andrew Bynum will not make a title run with them for the second straight year. Sasha Vujacic and Trevor Ariza on the other hand did not have solid games. Vujacic made just 1-6 shots from the field and Ariza wasn't able to find places to score and didn't really do a good job of slowing down Kevin Durant.
The Thunder did a very poor job of taking care of and shooting the ball all night long. They committed 19 turnovers that led to 24 points and shot a meager 41% from the field. They made just three of their 18 threes against a team that gives up their fair share of triple word scores. Kevin Durant finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and four assists but received next to no help from the rest of his team. Russell Westbrook had a rough game and Jeff Green couldn't get anything going against the long frontcourt of the Lakers.
Chicago Bulls 99, Detroit Pistons 91 in Chicago --
Taking a Detroit Pistons team without Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Allen Iverson is always going to be a tough situation for Motown followers. Sure, Tayshaun Prince is still a good player and he can team with the likes of Antonio McDyess and Rodney Stuckey to make a decent trio. But this depleted Pistons team is going to still have problems on the road against a Bulls team that was missing Derrick Rose. Not even 11-rebound efforts from Kwame Brown or a 20-point, nine-assist performance from Will Bynum can get Detroit over the hump when the Bulls starting lineup is clicking.
Chicago received a great effort from everyone in Vinny Del Negro's Fave Five and used a distinct advantage at the free throw line and in the backcourt to win this much-needed game. Kirk Hinrich led the way with 24 points and eight assists in 46 minutes to outplay Rodney Stuckey who finished with 14 points in 38 minutes. John Salmons and Ben Gordon found ways to effectively score against Tayshaun Prince and Aaron Afflalo for the tune of 16 and 19 points, respectively. And Joakim Noah had a really nice double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
But the story of the game was the play of Tyrus Thomas in my opinion. He was absolutely everywhere and played so well that I stopped calling him Stromile Swift, Jr. after the first quarter. He utilized his athleticism perfectly in this game and ended up with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. His growth over the past couple of months is extremely evident and he seems to fit in nicely with the players that the Bulls had on the floor last night. If he's able to make plays and be a presence with Luol Deng and company back in the lineup, then maybe he won't be such a "wasted pick" and the Aldirdge for Thomas deal won't look so one-sided.
San Antonio Spurs 107, Golden State Warriors 106 in San Antonio --
Back in the 2004 playoffs, Rasheed Wallace was lamented during the NBA Finals when he doubled Manu Ginobili on an inbounds play and left Robert Horry wide-open for a game-winning and possibly series-changing shot. Fast forward five years and the Spurs are still fighting towards a title and they still have a sharp-shooter off the bench who should not be left alone at the end of games. So let me just clarify this for future opponents (especially those that will face the Spurs in the playoffs): DO NOT LEAVE ROGER F&^%ING MASON OPEN AT THE END OF GAMES!
Once again, RMJ freed himself up for a game-winning jumper for the 67th time this season. After the Warriors received a huge gift on a Tim Duncan turnover that led to a lay-up by Kelenna Azuibuke with just over 30 seconds left, the Spurs came out of a timeout down one and with RMJ in the chamber of their gun. Mason and Duncan ran a pick-and-roll off of a hand-off pass to Mason towards the top of the key. Azuibuke stayed with Duncan initially on the play but made his move back towards Mason as Duncan rolled to the basket. Ronny Turiaf was forced to leave Mason to cover Duncan but when Azuibuke didn't close out on RMJ, the Spurs' best clutch shooter this season and buried another one. After a missed shot by Monta Ellis that was followed by two missed, Kurt Thomas free throws, Monta missed a 35-foot runner as time expired to give San Antonio the win. It was the Spurs' 22nd straight home victory over the Warriors.
The intriguing part of this game for the Warriors was the play of Anthony Randolph. If you've ever watched a Warriors' broadcast, you know that Randolph is the youngest player in the NBA, thanks to Jim Barnett. Randolph showed his vast improvement from just a couple months ago. He consistently made plays at both ends of the floor all night for G-State and finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks. Much like when the Spurs lost in OKC a couple of weeks ago, Randolph proved that athletic forwards give San Antonio problems on the court.
Utah Jazz 99, Houston Rockets 86 in Salt Lake City --
When healthy this Jazz team seems to be deep enough to challenge anyone in a seven-game series. On the flip side, the Rockets, despite their current standing in the West, seem to be a playoff team that has no direction on offense when they need it. And that was exactly the problem Tuesday night when these two teams faced off. The Rockets are good enough to hang with teams in the first half of games. But when the other team goes on a run and starts to make plays, Houston has no idea who it is on their roster that is supposed to bail them out with some scoring. That man used to be Tracy McGrady. Now it has to be either Aaron Brooks or Ron Artest because Yao Ming can't demand the ball.
However, this Jazz team has a bevy of options right down the line and can always count on Deron Williams to bail them out of any situation. Williams gave them 17 points and 12 assists in this game and kept the ball moving all night long. He only committed one turnover in the entire game against a tough and opportunistic Rockets' defense. The inside trio of Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer, and Paul Milsap combined to score 40 points, grab 23 rebounds, and block seven shots. And Ronnie Brewer gave them their most consistent scoring of the night with 17 points on just seven shots and was 8-9 from the free throw line.
This Rockets team failed to prove themselves offensively yet again with a terrible shooting night and sub-par performances from their stars. Houston shot 34.8% from the field, which was definitely not helped by Ron Artest and his 5-22 shooting night. Yao Ming had 14 points and 13 rebounds but didn't score a single point in the final 11 minutes of the game. After a three-pointer by Shane Battier to cut the lead to four with five minutes remaining in the game, the Rockets didn't score for the next three and a half minutes. By the time Aaron Brooks made a lay-up with 1:28 remaining in the game, the Jazz were up double digits and the Rockets had most of their reserves in the game.
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