Minnesota’s rookie quarterback Joe Webb, during his first NFL start in place of Brett Favre, threw 195 without a single interception, and ran for a touchdown, leading his team to a shocking 24-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. After the game, Webb explained that “You always have to have composure as a quarterback.” He added that “you always have to show your teammates that you have confidence no matter the score. My teammates were rallying behind me the whole game and I have to give those guys credit.” The Vikings win was especially unexpected following the Eagles three-game winning streak and unbelievable comeback during their game against the New York Giants last week.
Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat scored 40 points during the game against the New York Knicks, ending the game at a 106-98 victory for Miami. The Heat’s Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored twelve points and had nine rebounds during the first quarter, helping his team gain a 34-18 advantage. “I told Big Z he would have probably had a 28 point, 17-rebound game if he has a coach that would have put him back in there. He was able to be very effective and was able to play more minutes than we planned,” said Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra.
The New Orleans Saints have clinched a playoff spot with their 17-14 win over the NFC South Divison-leading Atlanta Falcons last night. Drew Brees of New Orleans threw consecutive interceptions in the fourth quarter, but he kept his cool and led his team to a 90-yard touchdown and a win. Brees told reporters after the game that “I was telling myself ‘you have to put that behind you.’ You had to, in a game like this, stay composed and find a way to convert and go down and score. In the end, we found a way to win.”
The Miami Heat dominated the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday, ending the game with a 96-80 victory. LeBron James scored 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Chris Bosh added 24 points and 13 rebounds to the count. This is the second consecutive bad game for the Lakers, who lost 98-79 to Milwaukee on Tuesday. After the game, Kobe Bryant told reporters “I don’t care if we lose by twenty or by one- I just don’t like to lose. I’m just upset with how we’re playing. These games mean more to our opponents than they do to us and we need to correct that.”
In a shockingly humiliating game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Lakers fell from glory with a 98-79 loss at home. In their second game without Jennings, the Bucks’ Earl Boykins scored 22 points, John Salmons added 20, and Ersan Ilyasova 17, improving their team to 11-16. After the game, Milwaukee head coach Scott Skiles said “Each time we appeared to be teetering a little bit, we were able to make a series of big plays to extend the lead. If you’re going to come into this type of place and beat this type of team, you’re going to need those types of plays. We wouldn’t have won the game without Earl tonight.”
Last night, the Chicago Bears battled the Vikings mercilessly, ending the game with a 40-14 victory. Brett Favre returned to the game only to be knocked out again in the second quarter, after slammed head-first into the turf. He did not return to the game, but addressed the reporters after it was over, stating that “that was one of the few times in my career I kind of went blank. I knew it would be my last home game.” He added that he doesn’t regret his decision to play. The Bears’ Devin Hester scored a 64-yard punt return, setting an NFL record of 14 kickoff/punt return TDs. Hester explained that it was all about the team. “They want it as bad as I do. I really love those guys. All the glory goes to them,” he said.
The Bull’s guard Derrick Rose missed a free throw during the last second (literally) of the game, ending the game with a 100-99 victory for the Los Angeles Clippers. The defeat is Chicago’s first after eight consecutive wins, while the Clippers have scored their second successive win after losing eleven away games this season. The Clippers’ rookie Blake Griffin led the team with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while the Bulls’ Rose topped all scorers with an impressive 34 points.
The Chicago Bulls swept the Toronto Raptors in a 110-93 game on Wednesday for their seventh consecutive victory, but at a cost. Their center Joakim Noah will be off the court for the next two months. He began the game with a sprained thumb, and appeared to be doing just fine, scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds. After the game, however, he admitted that he had torn a ligament and would require surgery.