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Nicks Make the Playoffs; Stars Victorious Over Anaheim Ducks

Written on April 4, 2011 by admin in Basketball, Hockey

In an interesting twist, the Nicks closed a spot in the playoffs with their 123-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday. This is their first post-season opportunity in seven years.

Amare Stoudemire scored 28, and Carmelo Anthony added 25. The win, which was their third in a row, as well as Charlotte’s loss to Washington, was enough to boost New York up into the playoffs.

“I was strong enough to come here when the situation wasn’t looking so great,” Stoudemire said. “I took it as a challenge upon myself and as a team to speak so boldly at the start of the year (that) the Knicks are back.”

“We are now in a position to be in the playoffs, which was the goal,” he added.

The Dallas Stars Shine Against Anaheim

Meanwhile, in the NHL, the Dallas Stars ended their six-game losing streak with their 4-3 victory on the road over the Anaheim Ducks, wedging open a window of playoff opportunity.

Mike Ribeiro made two goals, his second granting a 4-2 lead fifteen minutes in to the second period. With two minutes left, Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne scored a goal, but it was erased for goaltender interference. Then, the team’s Bobby Ryan scored again, but it was also wiped off because of a hand pass from Corey Perry.

“I grabbed it with my hand but I didn’t see if anyone touched it after that,” Perry said. “It’s a tough one to swallow. Those are the bounced we have not gotten in the last two games.”

Dallas’s Ribeiro said “That was a good year for us. We still believe. We’re going to push until the end and see what happens.”

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Oklahoma Thunders Past the Trail Blazers; the Jazz Trampled by the Mavericks

Written on March 28, 2011 by admin in Basketball

The Oklahoma City Thunder closed on their spot in the playoffs with their 99-90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

During the last quarter, the Thunder was led by Russell Westbrook in a 17-8 run. Westbrook scored 11 of his 28 points during that quarter.

“Both teams really played as hard as they can play,” said Scott Brooks, the Thunder coach, “fighting through every possession.”

The Thunder’s defense was also strong, with Kendrick Perkins blocking a shot by Gerald Wallace and Serge Ibaka preventing another by Andre Miller. On offense, Kevin Durant scored 21, and Ibaka added 18.

“There was a time a few years back that if Kevin goes 0-for-8, there’s a good chance that we don’t win this game,” Brooks said after the game. “Guys have to step up. There’s always going to be a different guy.”

On the Trailblazers, Wallace scored 40 points, but the only other player to reach a double-digit number was LaMarcus Aldridge with 20 points. After the game, Wallace said “It wasn’t enough. I’d rather take the win than take the points.”

The Utah Jazz Fall Away from the Playoffs

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks ended a game with their third consecutive win following a strong defensive effort against the Utah Jazz. The final score was 94-77.

“I thought it was a great game,” Dallas’s coach Rick Carlisle said. “You play a team that’s desperate and they’ve been losing close games. They fought and they were physical and they were clawing. We just kept playing. This is what we need.”

Al Jefferson of the Jazz said “We just made too many mistakes. I think we got away from what we was doing. Kind of let other things get us out of our game, instead of staying focused and doing what we was doing the first three quarters.”

The loss is the fifth consecutive for the Jazz, and their playoff chances are slowly diminishing.

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Houston Rockets Past the Jazz; Ducks Tied for Eighth Playoff Spot

Written on March 21, 2011 by admin in Basketball, Hockey

The Houston Rockets won a tough battle against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, coming out victorious with a close score of 110-108. With what was their 11th win of the last 14 days, Houston closed on the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Kyle Lowry scored a triple double of 28 points, had 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the winning team, all while holding off the Jazz during their late comeback.
“Right now he’s playing great, not only from a statistical standpoint, but from a leader standpoint,” teammate Chuck Hayes said of Lowry. “He’s our floor general.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Martin scored an impressive 34 points, making all of his 18 free-throw attempts.

…And in Hockey

Corey Perry scored his second consecutive game-winning goal, aiding the Anaheim Ducks in their 5-4 victory over the Calgary Flames during overtime. The win lifted the Ducks into playoff position. Now, they are tied with the Dallas Stars for the 8th spot.
“You dream of these kinds of games0 playoff atmosphere type games,” Perry said after the game. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
“He’s an unbelievable hockey player having an MVP year,” explained a teammate. “He’s hungry every game. It’s great to see when young guys can do that.”

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Pacers Stun Knicks; Injured Bryant Leads Lakers to Victory

Written on March 14, 2011 by admin in Basketball

The Indiana Pacers ended the game against the New York Knicks with a stunning score of 106-93, putting an end to their six-game losing streak despite the absence of leading scorer Danny Granger.

The Knicks were expecting another victory, especially with the return of Chauncey Billups, but Indiana managed to climb to a twenty-point lead in the third quarter. Tyler Hansbrough scored a career-high 29 points, while Granger’s replacement Dahntay Jones contributed 18 as well.

“Coach didn’t let me play in the past, and I don’t know why,” Hansbrough told reporters after the game. “I try to come in the gym and try to get better and prove a point.”

On the Knicks, Stoudemire had 28 points, and Carmelo Anthony added 25 of his own. Billups was rusty after missing six games, making only four of fourteen shots for nine points. He also missed all of his three-pointer shots.

Meanwhile…

The Lakers leaned on Kobe Bryant, who, despite his ankle sprain, led his team to a 96-91 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. During the third quarter of the game, in which the Western Conference’s top teams battled for the top spot, Bryant landed badly on his left ankle and left the court. He returned in the following quarter to hit a fadeaway jumper as well as two free throws.

“I thought I was done, like done,” he said after the game. “I was just praying that when I stood up, my foot was lined up straight. I thought I dislocated it.” “Even though it looks horrible, I can still push off on it,” he added.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said “We’ll just have to watch it the next few days.”

Andrew Bynum, the team’s center, contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds during the game.

“We knew that Drew was going to be effective tonight,” said Jackson. “They have a big lineup, but he has shown before that he’s a very effective player against the combination of what they put out there on the floor.”

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Lakers End Spurs Winning Streak

Written on March 7, 2011 by admin in Basketball

The San Antonio Spurs, the leading team in the NBA this year, suffered a 99-83 loss to the LA Lakers this past Sunday, ending their impressive home streak.
The Spurs still hold their top position though, with the division-leading Lakers trailing over six games behind in the Western Conference.

Kobe Bryant Pumped for Rest of Season

Kobe Bryant led the winning team with 26 points, while Pau Gasol scored 21. The Spurs’ Tony Parker was the only one to score a double digit number of 14.
“We’re playing well and it’s kind of important to keep that going,” Bryant said. “Today was a good test to see how much we’ve improved since the All-Star break. We passed today.”

“There Was No Game”

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said it “was an easy win for them. There was no game.” The Spurs shot only 36% from the field and all the starters combined scored a mere 29 points. “Nobody expects to be losing more than twenty in the first quarter. They were making every shot, and they played more angry. We were waiting to see what was going to happen, and they came to get it.”

Jackson Benches His Benchwarmers

Towards the end of the game, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson pulled his reserves out and sent his starters back on to the court. “I didn’t like the way our bench was playing. They just didn’t have a rhythm out there and they were settling for outside shots. They were just out of focus a bit,” he said. “They understand. It got under twenty points and the foul situation was in their favor. You just have to be careful in this game. It’s a game of extremes.”

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Bulls Battle for Top Spot; Anel Pagan to Replace Beltran at Center Field

Written on March 1, 2011 by admin in Baseball, Basketball

The Chicago Bulls are continuing their climb to the top spot in the Eastern Conference with their recent 105-77 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Bulls have exceeded the expectations of the season, standing within one game of the Miami Heat and just two behind the conference-leading Celtics. This week, Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 21 points and nine assists, including a between-the-legs pass to Joakim Noah during the first quarter.

“It’s just a play that I made, but I didn’t have it pre-planned or anything, I just did it,” Rose said after the game. “When I do stuff [like that], I don’t think about it.”

Center Noah also recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds of his own. This game was just the fourth since his return after a thumb injury that had him sidelined for over two months. Luol Deng also had 21 points.

 

Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets will be transferred from the center to the right field in order to accommodate Angel Pagan. Beltran is a five-time All Star with three Gold Glove Awards to his name as a result of his prowess in the center. He missed the entire first half of last season because of knee surgery, and played on 64 games. Pagan took on Beltran’s position in his absence, and will be keeping it when he returns, as well.

“I was just trying to do my job out there, trying to help the team as much as I could, and I guess I did it well,” Pagan said.

Beltran admitted that he still feels limited by his knee. “In my heart, I still feel that I can play center field,” he said. “But at the same time, this is not about Carlos. This is about the team.”

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Kobe Bryant Named All-Star MVP for the Fourth Time

Written on February 22, 2011 by admin in Basketball

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers won his fourth All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, tying with the record, while leading the Western conference to a 148-143 victory. With numerous Slam Dunks, Bryant ended the game with 37 points and 14 rebounds.

“I wanted to come out and play hard and put on a good show,” Bryant said after the game. “It feels great being at home here and playing in front of the home crowd.”

Pau Gasol, also of the Lakers, scored 17 points and led his team to a four-point lead with less than a minute left in the game. Kevin Durant scored 34 points, and sealed the West’s win with two free throws with five seconds left.

LeBron James had an impressive game as well, recording a triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the East.

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Lakers vs Bobcats; Spurs vs Nets

Written on February 15, 2011 by admin in Basketball

Los Angeles’s Lakers ended their game against the Charlotte Bobcats with a devastating loss of 109-89. The game followed close behind the Lakers 89-75 defeat to the Orlando Magic. Head coach Phil Jackson was furious with the game results.

“I just have this to say: we’re very disappointed in our performance tonight, we’re embarrassed about what we did, and that’s it,” he told reporters after the game.  

The Bobcats’ forward Gerald Wallace scored 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Gerald Henderson added 18 points of his own. On the Lakers, Kobe Bryant scored 20 points as well, but missed 12 out of 20 field goals, and Pau Gasol finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

 

The San Antonia Spurs are maintaining their successful road trip, and have added a 102-85 victory over the New Jersey Nets to their list. Manu Ginobili returned to the starting line scoring 22 points, and Tim Duncan contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Spurs have the best record in the league; 46-9.

“On the road you play those teams, you know you’re supposed to win,” said Tony Parker, point guard for San Antonio. “It’s very important to jump on them and start aggressive and make sure you get an early lead.” Parker had 13 points and 7 assists.

 

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Packers Win Super Bowl; Cavaliers Set Losing Streak Record

Written on February 9, 2011 by admin in Basketball, Football

The Green Bay Packers battled fiercely against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the biggest, most respected prize in U.S. sports, coming out victorious with a score of 31-25. Both teams had a great season, and were pretty evenly matched, with the Packers rising throughout the season and the Steelers just as tough as they were two years ago when they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the 43rd Super Bowl.

Led by their young quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers opened the game with a 21-3 lead by the second quarter. The Steelers made a late comeback, though, and the outcome of the game was the least predictable that it’s been for years. Seven touchdowns were scored between the teams, but the game came down to defense while both teams lost major players to injuries.

Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Packers, said “We just kept battling. We had some adversity, we lost some guys to injuries and we had some rough plays out there. We knew it was going to be a heavyweight slug match. We knew it was going to come down to the wire.”

 

Meanwhile in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have set a record by losing their 25th consecutive game on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. With the final score at 99-96, the Cavaliers had a chance to tie the game during the final seconds when Anthony Parker shot a three-pointer, but he missed.

“When it hit the front of the rim I still thought it was going to hit the backboard and trickle in,” Parker said after the game. “It is so disappointing to come up short again. We just have to keep at it.”

 

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Packers and Steelers Preparing for the Super Bowl

Written on February 3, 2011 by admin in Football

This year’s Super Bowl teams are basically as evenly matched as teams can be. Both were ranked in the top five in team efficiency rankings, often switching from 2nd to 3rd and from 3rd to 2nd place.

The Packers have a stronger offense, and are great at making the pass and throwing minimal interceptions. The Steelers, on the other hand, have a solid defense and do a great job stopping that pass, as well as picking off many interceptions.

When asked what the Steelers need to bring to win on Sunday, Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said “I think for me, I mean obviously we have to try to score more points than they do. But for me it’s going to be about identifying their defense, trying to pick up their blitzes, and when you identify you have a better chance of doing that. You still have to execute you know and do your job and do your role, but if we can find a way to identify their defense and their blitzes and where they’re coming from I think that gives us a better opportunity, a better chance.”

Aaron Rogers, quarterback for the Packers, said "I think the key to coming out with a victory here on Sunday is going to be the turnover ratio. You look at the last 10 Super Bowls and eight of the nine teams that have won the turnover ratio have won the game. So you can't turn it over against them and expect to win.” He added that his receivers are an essential part of his game. "My receivers make me look really good. I've got five really talented guys who I'd match up against any guy in the League. Greg Jennings is as good as any receiver. Donald (Driver), Jordy (Nelson), James (Jones), and Brett (Swain) all have a lot of talent and different things that they can do for us. It's tough for us to get them all on the field at the same time, but we try to draw plays for each of those guys every week."

Dom Capers, the Packers defensive coordinator said, when asked about the two competing quarterbacks: "I think the two have different styles. Ben is bigger, stronger, but Aaron has good instincts and is a good athlete who can get outside the pocket. You've seen him extend plays and he's got the arm strength to throw it down the field. Both of these guys are concerning for the defenses in terms of trying to keep them in the pocket and trying not to let one of the receivers run through your coverage down the field."

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