Evan Gole/Getty Images

In yesterday’s recap, I said I “let myself down” by falling asleep and missing 4 hours of NBA action. Well, last night I fell asleep and missed one half of basketball. Just one half. But, ugh, when I was awoken with a phone call at about 1:30 AM and the broadcast was over, I positively hated myself. I stay in to watch basketball, always loving it, always hoping to see something amazing… and last night, although I was in, I was passed the hell out on my couch when amazing happened. There were numerous great performances last night and I’ll get to them all, but first let’s re-live the incredible ending of the Lakers/Heat game, the ending that I missed because I am a complete idiot:

Holy shit. Okay, let’s move on…

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum: 12 Pts (2-8 FG, 0-2 3PT, 8-10 FT), 5 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 PF, 4 TO in 29 mins.

Gotta focus on the 10 free throw attempts, here (although the 5/5 is nice too). I read an excellent Pistons breakdown on Bucksketball the other day, where Jeremy Schmidt pointed out that Bynum averages four attempts at the rim per game. Beyond that simply seeming impossible for sub-6-footer playing less than 30 minutes a game, this is just so valuable to a team. Penetrating the D and making the opposition shift is one of the most important parts of basketball and Bynum is able to do that extremely well at the NBA level. He can get himself all the way to the basket seemingly by sheer will-power (oh man, no pun intended – seriously) and draw fouls if he can’t convert. Terrific skill to have for a “backup” point guard.

Shannon Brown: 2 Pts (1-5 FG, 0-2 3PT), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 PF, 1 TO in 15 mins.

I don’t have much on Shannon from last night, but should point out that he spent a bit of time guarding Dwyane Wade during Flash’s quiet first half. Also, check out his reaction to Kobe’s buzzer-beater:

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Amir Johnson: 4 Pts (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT), 3 Reb, 1 Stl, 5 PF, 2 TO in 17 mins.

Funny how a guy who deservedly has a bad reputation for fouling ends up saving a game for his team by avoiding contact. After having picked up 5 fouls in 17 minutes of action, Amir was able to use a bit of “trickery” to fool Gilbert Arenas on the final play of OT. As Gilbert went to the basket, he was focusing on drawing contact rather than putting the ball in the hole. When Amir got out of the way, Gil was unable to convert. Check out Amir talking about the play, post-game:

Serge Ibaka: 6 Pts (3-5 FG, 0-1 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 23 mins.

The numbers won’t blow you away, but this nasty block will:

Rookie Watch

DeMar DeRozan: 16 Pts (6-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-5 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 PF in 27 mins.

So proud of DeRozan last night. The first half was something special. Building on what we have seen before, he made aggressive move after aggressive move on offense, putting pressure on Washington’s weak D. He scored 16 points in his first 16 minutes, including these three beauties:

It’s just a shame he didn’t add much in the second half. I wanted to see him come back in the game down the stretch, but it’s hard for me to complain too loudly when his team came away with the overtime win.

Wesley Matthews: 18 Pts (7-13 FG, 2-7 3PT, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 5 PF in 35 mins.

Matthews was absolutely huge for the Jazz in this game, which ended up being closer than it should have been after Utah started the game up 22-3 on Indy. The Pacers were killing it in the 2nd quarter, but this rook converted a 3-point play with 37 seconds left in the half and followed it up with a three-pointer to beat the shot-clock with just 3 seconds remaining to keep the lead at 13. He continued his solid play on both ends of the floor down the stretch. The 18 points were a career-high and his defense on Danny Granger was fantastic. No Jazz player was bigger besides Carlos Boozer, who finished with 35 and 13 in this 96-87 victory.

Taj Gibson: 14 Pts (7-14 FG, 0-2 FT), 13 Reb (4 Off), 1 Stl, 5 PF in 36 mins.

This is the first double-double of Taj Gibson’s career and I’m actually surprised it hasn’t come sooner. The guy plays with a ton of hustle and you have to dig that. As the 26th pick in the draft he was definitely not supposed to be starting for the Bulls, but he has done a more than admirable job all year considering the circumstances. Of course, you’d like him to get to the foul line more often, but, again, this is a late first-round pick giving his all. Appreciate this guy, even if you’re still bitter about the whole DeJuan Blair thing.

Brandon Jennings: 15 Pts (6-20 FG, 3-10 3PT), 5 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 38 mins.

Damn. Another poor shooting night for Brandon. I can get behind the 8 assists and 5 rebounds, though. Here’s the frustrated rook on Twitter, down on himself after this 105-96 loss on the road.

You just feel his frustration, don’t you? But here’s what I love about Twitter: two of my very favourite players in the league telling the star rookie to keep shooting:

Jonas Jerebko: 16 Pts (5-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-7 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 27 mins.

This is the first time this Swede has been mentioned in my Rookie Watch but it won’t be the last. He is definitely an All-OTN-type player, doing all the little things that help you win games. He’s only 22, but he contributes on both sides of the floor. Always great to see that in a rookie. You have to read Brian Spencer’s piece on him for Empty The Bench and check out this quote from his coach last night:

“Jonas has emerged as one of the best rookies in this league—he is really expanding his game. He was huge.” – John Kuester

Before I move on, I should mention that he hit a key jumper with less than 2 minutes to play to put his team up by 9. Fantastic when a rookie helps to secure a victory like that.

Fun With Stats

For this night, I’m going to examine a few pairs of players who came through in big ways.

Kobe Bryant: 33 Pts (12-25 FG, 2-3 3PT, 7-8 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO, 5 PF in 42 mins.
Dwyane Wade: 26 Pts (7-21 FG, 0-1 3PT, 12-18 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 9 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 4 PF in 41 mins.

Those lines aren’t important – these are superstars, you expect numbers. What’s important here is the battle these two had in the 4th quarter. Kobe had 17 in the final frame and Wade had 12, including 9 in the final two minutes. As you know, though, Kob’ had the last laugh with his impossible game-winner after Dwyane missed a free throw.

Brook Lopez: 31 Pts (12-22 FG, 7-7 FT), 14 Reb (6 Off), 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 40 mins.
Courtney Lee: 27 Pts (11-16 FG, 3-4 3PT, 2-4 FT), 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 0 TO, 5 PF in 33 mins.

Amazing numbers there, but the most important numbers are here: 1-18. Yes. FINALLY. The Nets have erased that 0 from the win column. It took enormous efforts from these two sophomores to get it done, but they finally got it done. Thank God Courtney Lee is finally starting and thank God Stephen Jackson’s clutch three-point shooting wasn’t enough for the Bobcats to avoid the 97-91 defeat. On this night, the whole NBA world was rooting for the Nets and they came through. Such a relief.

Al Harrington: 27 Pts (11-17 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-4 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO, 4 PF in 39 mins.
Chris Duhon: 25 Pts (10-16 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-2 FT), 4 Reb, 10 Ast, 1 Stl, 0 TO, 1 PF in 36 mins.

Look at that efficiency! BY FAR the best performances from these two guys this year. Knicks fans have been used to these two clanging threes, but on this night they went in. Harrington took it to his former team in Danilo Gallinari’s absence and Duhon thoroughly outplayed Mike Bibby. I bet you didn’t expect the Knicks to beat the Hawks by 7 on the road, but it happened: 114-107.

Zach Randolph: 24 Pts (11-20 FG, 2-2 FT), 15 Reb (9 Off), 3 Ast, 3 TO, 3 PF in 39 mins.
O.J. Mayo: 25 Pts (10-16 FG, 5-8 3PT), 4 Reb (1 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 0 PF in 40 mins.

I bet you didn’t expect the Grizzlies to beat Dallas by 16, either, but you should know that Dallas has now lost 3 straight games in Memphis. The Mavs couldn’t match the Grizzlies’ energy and they let Randolph and Mayo completely school them on the offensive end. Knock their low assist totals if you like, but these guys can flat-out put the ball in the hole and that helped their team get a 98-82 win on this night.

Impressive

I’ll continue with another pair of players here – these two faced off against each other as they returned from injuries:

Chris Paul:16 Pts (6-13 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-3 FT), 6 Reb, 15 Ast, 8 (!!!) Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO, 3 PF in 38 mins
Kevin Love:11 Pts (3-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-4 FT), 11 Reb (3 Off), 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 3 PF in 24 mins.

Woooooow. 8 steals for Paul? 11 rebounds in 24 minutes for Love? It’s amazing how these guys can come back and be seemingly without rust. Don’t expect them to put up these performances every night from now on, but appreciate what they did last night. Paul completely dominated the game en route to a 98-89 Hornets win, and Love showed off the three-point stroke he worked on this summer. I am so very much looking forward to watching these two play for the rest of this year.

Now, the most impressive player of the night for me (aside from Kobe, obviously). This guy showed the heart and determination his team desperately needed in a winning effort:

Chris Bosh: 31 Pts (13-25 FG, 0-2 3PT, 5-8 FT), 16 Reb (9 Off), 4 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO, 2 PF in 41 mins.

His work in the 4th quarter was breathtaking: 13 points and 6 boards, with 5 of them coming on the offensive glass. He made timely, difficult plays and bailed the Raptors out when nothing else was working. Hedo Turkoglu ended up making the game-winning shot in overtime, but it was Bosh who kept the team alive and put them in a position to win. Raptors fans have been seeing these amazing performances from him all season, so it’s a shame the team only has 8 wins. Really hoping the team can string a few wins together here and it’s not just because I’m from Toronto. It’d just be a shame to waste an MVP-level season from this young power forward.

Quoted

“Chris Bosh is a man possessed right now.” – Raptors colour commentator Jack Armstrong, during the 4th quarter I just mentioned.

“It’s just one at the end of the day. It’s one win. We wanted it to get it out of the way. It means a lot. We did it. We can’t be satisfied with it. We’ve got to move forward and put something together.” – Chris-Douglas Roberts, after the Nets defeated the Bobcats.

“That’s Black Mamba. I knew he was gonna make it.” – Ron Artest, on Kobe’s game-winner.

Tweeted

I’m just going to go with a string of Kobe-related tweets today.

@RobMahoney: For everyone who doesn’t think it’s worth it to stay in on a Friday night to watch the NBA…you just missed something special from Kobe.

@offseasonblog: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@seanfrancois: KOBE! wow…#ShouldWeHaveExpectedAnythingLess?

@kpelton: Are you kidding me? #wherekobehappens

@jalenrose: Lakers Kobe for 3…of the wrong foot for the Win vs heat…best clutch in the NBA…insane!

@Nat77: wow… That was a ridiculous shot! you can’t help but love this game when you get moments like that from legends like Kobe

@AndreHoops: You watched it for 2-plus hours like I did. It’s not about hate, it’s about excellence. Appreciate THE best player n the NBA 2day. Thx Kobe.

@stackmack: I just lost my mind. Totally just lost my mind. Holy freaking Wow.

@outsidethenba: fjsad;klj;sakljls I didn’t see Kobe. Didn’t see anything. FUCK.

To Watch

An unfortunate series of events for rookie Sam Young:

Jeff Green hammering home the reverse before the Celts took over to win 105-87 :

LeBron James and Joakim Noah exchange words during the Cavs’ 101-87 victory over the Bulls:

Some long-overdue joy in New Jersey:

The newest 76er talking to his college coach, John Thompson:

To Read

The best piece I’ve ever read on future #1 pick John Wall.

Part One and Part Two of Chip Crain’s interview with Grizz owner Michael Heisley.

Some words on Allen Iverson from Eric Snow, Holly MacKenzie, and Dei Lynam.

To Listen

Kelly Dwyer on Lakers.com

The latest FreeDarko Presents: The Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast

The latest Chronicles of Crotty

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

I let myself down last night, failing to keep my eyes open after the Boston/San Antonio game tipped off. Apparently you shouldn’t go for late-afternoon/early-evening drinks with co-workers when you haven’t slept properly in weeks. After waking up on my couch at 12:00 AM with freaking hockey on the TV, lesson learned. I’m not going to compound this failure with a failure to complete the third BfB, though, so bear with me as I sort through last night’s action despite missing the majority of it live.

The All-OTN Team

No one in my fab five played last night, unfortunately. The small forward on the team did bring a smile to my face, though:

Rookie Watch

DaJuan Blair: 18 Pts (9-11 FG, 0-1 FT), 11 Reb (5 Off), 2 Blk, 1 TO, 2 PF in 21 mins.

What a beast. The point total is a career high and his inspired play will make everyone forget about the embarrassing moment where he tipped the ball into his own basket to give the Celtics 2 points. In the last two games, he’s totalled 29 points and 21 rebounds (12 offensive). Care to guess how many minutes he played in those games, total? 38. Utterly mind-boggling. Love that he had a huge game on national TV, although it kind of sucks that it was in a losing effort. Despite grabbing 23 more rebounds than the Celtics, the Spurs’ inferior shooting and higher turnover total resulted in a 90-83 loss. Oh, and here’s something from the Sports Guy, who recently made his glorious return to Twitter:

Ty Lawson: 6 Pts (2-4 FG, 2-2 FT), 1 Ast, 1 TO, 1 PF in 21 mins.

Quiet night in this 114-96 blowout victory against the Heat, but it’s worth noting that both of his field goals came on floaters. This is such an essential shot for smaller players in the NBA. As I mentioned with Brandon Jennings yesterday, if you can get to the hoop, hit open jumpers, AND hit contested floaters, you’re almost unstoppable. And just like with Blair, he’s making other teams and their fans jealous:

Stephen Curry: 11 Pts (4-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), 5 Reb (1 Off), 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO, 3 PF in 32 mins.

2 assists and 4 turnovers? Damn. I still believe in you, Steph. I remember your 14-point, 7-assist debut against Houston and you better believe everyone in that opposing locker room did, too. Just make some adjustments and forget about this tough 111-109 loss. Oh, and stay aggressive.

Fun With Stats

Monta Ellis: 24 Pts (9-27 FG, 0-2 3PT, 6-8 FT), 6 Reb (1 Off), 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 9 TO, 5 PF, 7 BA (Blocked Attempts) in 47 minutes.

What a weird, weird line. Steph’s 2 assists to 4 turnovers have nothing on Monta’s 8 to 9. I guess when you play all but 32 seconds of a 106-posession game, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to rack up field goal attempts, assists, and turnovers if you’ve got the ball in your hands most of the time, but… damn. That’s crazy. A bit of a rough night, efficiency-wise, to say the least. It would have been nice if he had capped it off with a game-winner, but unfortunately that 9th turnover came on a frustrating travel with 2.1 seconds left in the game, as he slipped when he caught the inbounds pass.

Rajon Rondo: 12 Pts (6-11 FG, 0-1 3PT), 6 Reb, 12 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO, 4 PF in 36 mins.

I don’t know if this really means anything but he was +19 on the night, as well. Easily the game’s leader in that stat. You should be used to these kinds of stat lines for Rondo, though, and since I only saw highlights of the game I don’t have much in the form of analysis for ya. I do have a rant, though: Last night, I made a quick list of guys who I root for harder because other people hate them. Rondo inspired this list. It’s odd that I root for him – I’m a Raptors fan and kind of hate the Celtics. The attitude on that team pisses me off. Believe me, I respect the hell out of them, but I was screaming at the TV when they were playing the Bulls in that amazing first round series last season. Especially when KG was mouthing off from the bench. I know I’m not alone – they’re a team that’s eminently hateable, but everyone generally respects Garnett, Pierce, and Allen’s play. My problem is that there are STILL people who hate on Rondo’s game, not just his attitude. It might just be a vocal, ignorant minority but it’s a piss-off. I fail to see how anyone who has watched the Celtics since last season began can discredit his talent. He’s not just good because he’s playing with good players. He’s not hurting his team with his sub-par outside shot. Yes, he has a sub-par outside shot, but the fact that he’s playing like an All-Star despite this is a testament to how great he is at almost every other aspect of the game: look at his defense, his rebounding, his passing, his efficiency, and his ability to penetrate. He gives you absolutely amazing production from what is arguably the most important position on the floor. So don’t hate his game, thanks.

I want to close out the stats section with a quick mention of something the great Dave D’Alessandro uncovered yesterday (check the link for the Keyon Dooling quote about Lawrence Frank at the bottom, which jives with just about everything I’ve read about Frank lately):

Through 18 games, Jason Kidd is 37-for-78 (.474) from downtown.

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Through 17 games, Rafer Alston, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Devin Harris, and Courtney Lee are a combined 30-for-106 (.283) from downtown.

_

Again, we’d like to call this the worst 3-point team of the last two decades, but we can’t. That’s because their .270 norm from international waters is actually better than Minnesota’s .260.

That is ugly. Crap. Let’s move on to the opposite of that…

Impressive

These four guys impressed me last night during the Rockets/Warriors game because they showcased all-around games that weren’t always there.

Carl Landry: 22 Pts (8-10 FG, 6-6 FT), 9 Reb (2 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 Blk, 3 TO, 4 PF in 26 mins.

You really can’t ask for more than that production in 26 minutes. That’s incredible. I know the Warriors’ interior D is very, very, veryveryvery weak, but you have to give Landry props here. What I love about his play is that he’s improved as the year has gone on. I knew he was going to be an efficient scorer on the block, but have been pleasantly surprised with his defense and his rebounding. And by defense, I don’t just mean the blocks and the steals – he’s really working on that end, which wasn’t always the case before. It’s a bit funny that Adelman is still bringing Carl off the bench, as he’s developing into their go-to guy in key situations. I linked to this awesome article on him the other day – if you missed it, you should give it a read now.

Aaron Brooks: 25 Pts (8-15 FG, 5-8 3PT, 4-4 FT), 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 TO, 5 PF in 35 mins.

Ooooh, an undersized scoring point guard. Of course I’m into it. 14 of those points came in the 3rd quarter alone, by the way. Brooks has improved his three-point percentage by 3.4 this year, whilst averaging more attempts than ever before. His efficiency in the last 3 games has been phenomenal (21 pts on 15 shots, 22 on 11, and now 25 on 15). What catches my eye, though, is the assists. 7 of them. If he can keep that up or improve it, it would really help this Rockets team. We all know you can score, Aaron – finding easy looks for your teammates is the next step. (Update: Somehow when I wrote this I forgot to mention that Brooks scored the game-winning free throws last night. Well, he did. Now you know.)

Anthony Morrow: 21 Pts (8-13 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-1 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 5 Ast (!), 4 PF in 40 mins.

Morrow matched Brooks’s 14 points in the third and was a major part of the Warriors’ offense last night. What’s great about this is he’s showing he has the potential to be more than just the sweetest-shooting three-point threat in the league. The five assists are a sign that his team would be served to use him as more than just a spot-up guy and his biggest basket was not a three: down by 2, when he had the ball in his hands and Shane Battier (obviously) made the proper decision to take away his three-point shot, Morrow performed a nice crossover, got to the basket, and converted a difficult lay-in off the glass to tie the game. Shame about the 13.3 seconds that followed.

Vladimir Radmanovic: 20 Pts (8-13 FG, 4-7 3PT), 8 Reb (3 Off), 6 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 TO, 0 PF in 35 mins.

First, he dunks on Nene, and now this. I am having trouble comprehending what I’m seeing. What an all-around game! Look at those rebounds, assists, and steals. So nice. What’s wild is that his last basket came with 6:09 left in the third quarter. After that, he went scoreless for the remainder of the period and Don Nelson didn’t insert him back into the lineup until there was 2:55 left in the fourth. He checked into the game as Carl Landry hit two free throws to score Houston’s 9th and 10th consecutive points. The lineup that allowed this? Curry, Watson, Ellis, Morrow, and Maggette. You’re crazy, Nellie.

Quoted

“Yeah I can win it. I don’t care if (Michael) Jordan was in it.” – DeMar DeRozan, after being asked if he could win the dunk contest if LeBron James was competing.

“I just get the feeling now that this team really wants to be great. Every day that we’re in the gym we’re going hard and doing what we can to get better. This team wants nothing but to be great. We’re improving in a lot of different areas and if we keep that up I think we have a chance to be really good again.” – Dwight Howard, on his fantastic Magic team, from his blog.

“If you go to a team that’s not really winning, like the New Jersey Nets, they haven’t won a game yet. I might go crazy if I haven’t won a game. I’m a competitive person. I’m glad I’m on a team that’s winning like we are right now.” – Ty Lawson, from a great piece comparing the drastically different situations Lawson and Steph Curry are in right now.

“Someone has to take those shots. That’s just the way the NBA game goes. You’re not going to be able to get a high-quality, open 3-point look at the basket or a layup every time down.” – Shane Battier, of course referencing the two most efficient shots in basketball from an excellent article about Trevor Ariza.

Tweeted

@YUNGBUCK3: Oh yea forgot to till yall I was at the white house, chillin with Obama. He actually know who I am. That’s crazy.

@gswscribe: Monta Ellis didn’t talk after the game. He was the first one out of the locker room, whisking past media after we exited Nellie’s postgame
@gswscribe: I caught up w/ him for one question. “How do you feel?” He shook his head no. Wasn’t sure if he meant not good or not talking.

@BothTeamsPlayed: Wait? Vlad Rad scored 20 points? Is it 2004 already? (Moments after this, I saw Jamaal Magloire get a layup and I was convinced it was actually 2004.)

@ShamSports: Heh. Just realised that Al Harrington’s nickname is Free Candy. Tyrus Thomas’ nickname is Free Money. Now the trade MUST happen.

@TheJetOnTNT: Hey shout out Charles ! Pray for his fam. Cuz granny passed! Will be missed
@TurnerSportsEJ: if ya’ll didn’t catch pre-game , charles lost his grandmother today…83.. a great lady. If you’re the praying type, toss one up. Thanks

To watch

Allen Iverson’s emotional press conference back home in Philly:

Rad Man’s backcourt alley-oop to Monta:

Kyle Lowry’s huge block on C.J. Watson:

To read

The Disappearing Portland Defense, by Kevin Pelton

I think the Blazers do have the personnel to improve on D if they would just play smarter/harder on that end, but it’s got to be a bit worrying that they’ve gotten worse as the season has gone on.

Loose Balls, Thursday, by Knee Jerk NBA

KneeJerk backs up the “Damon Stoudamire on steroids” Brandon Jennings assessment that I made, except he leaves the steroids bit. He also talks about the Blazers’ D, AI, and Ron-Ron.

When Hope Is All That’s Left, By Holly MacKenzie

A great, but depressing look at the state of the 0-18 Nets. Before reading this, I felt worse for CDR than anyone else in the league. Now, T-Will is right there with him, followed by Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston, then the rest of the team. They’ve got the Bobcats and Knicks coming up – they’ve gotta win one, right? Right? I hope so.

The season so far, in quotes, by Scott Carefoot

The selected quotes make me happy but the way they’re applied to this year’s Toronto Raptors makes me sad. Or angry. A bit of both, really. What’s worst is that I can’t argue with a damn thing Carefoot said.

Andrew Bogut and The “Oi!” of Six, by Chris Tomasson

Terrific look at one of the cooler things I’ve seen an NBA player do. I’ve always wondered where the college-like chanting was coming from at Bucks home games. Now I know.

Hey, check it out – a new feature! This is the debut of Basketball for Breakfast, my stab at a daily recap. I know, I know, there is already a wealth of excellent recaps in the NBA blogosphere. I read them all and that won’t change. This isn’t an attempt to compete with anyone; I’m simply trying to add something of my own. I’ll do my best to keep it fun and unique.

The All-OTN Team

Amir Johnson: 2 Pts (0-2 FG, 2-4 FT), 7 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 4 PF in 20 min.

Not the most impressive stat line in this 106-102 loss to the Wizards, I’ll admit. He was enjoyable to watch, though. The man always brings the energy. Those 7 rebounds? 6 of them came in the first half, including an amazing grab that he followed up with an assist to a cutting Chris Bosh. What’s most impressive about Amir’s rebounding is that he gets them in different ways – last night, I saw him tip the ball to himself, tip it to his teammates, and straight-up wrestle it away from opponents’ fingertips. He is one of the few Raptors in the franchise’s history who manages to get rebounds that he shouldn’t. The 4 fouls in 20 are unfortunate, but he’s still learning.

Jared Dudley: 7 Pts (2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 1 TO, 2 PF in 18 min.

Again, these numbers won’t blow you away, but they rarely do with Jared. I’ll tell you this: I didn’t see much of this 126-99 blowout, but in the couple of minutes where I tuned in during the 2nd quarter I saw Jared Dudley make three impressive plays in succession: hitting a three-pointer, drawing a foul underneath the basket, and saving a possession for his team. Clyde Frazier, calling the game for the Knicks, seemed positively smitten with him. It’s always nice to get 7 rebounds from your backup small forward, too. Shame his effort wasn’t anywhere close to enough to avoid this embarrassing defeat.

Shannon Brown: 4 Pts (1-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT), 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 PF in 23 min.

Argh. More crappy numbers. Doesn’t mean he had a bad game, though. On the night where his new website launched, he entered the game with 1:07 left in the 1st quarter and stayed there through most of the 2nd, absolutely shutting down sharpshooter Marcus Thornton. Brown quite obviously wasn’t on the court to score; he was there to stop Lil Buckets from doing so. And he succeeded – Lil Buckets couldn’t get anything going in the first half. Unfortunately, the Hornets didn’t Let Shannon Dunk on this night, as his best opportunity was a missed alley-oop from Kobe Bryant. His one FG was pretty nice, though:

Rookie Watch

DeMar DeRozan: 2 Pts (1-4 FG), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 TO, 1 Blk, 1 PF in 16 mins.

Not a standout night for DeMar, as he missed a couple of jumpers we know he can make. It’s important to remember what his role is on this team, though. Since Jay Triano has opted to play him pretty much exclusively with the starting unit, he is not asked to take a lot shots and doesn’t get many opportunities to get in rhythm. We saw some nice plays, though – DeRozan’s 1 FG came on an alley-oop from Jose Calderon, where he didn’t have the angle to slam it down so he adjusted and layed it in. His block on Gilbert Arenas in the 3rd quarter was fantastic, too. I’ve got to add that the 1 Ast is a bit deceiving, as he made a couple of aggressive plays that led to scores where he was not credited for any stats. One in particular stands out, where he drove on the right baseline and kicked it out to Chris Bosh, who found Andrea Bargnani at the top of the key for three. That’s a hockey assist. Nice to see. Still firmly on this bandwagon.

Ty Lawson: 13 Pts (5-7 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 PF in 24 mins.
Very nice line for Lawson, on the night that his alma mater beat my Spartans by 7. 13 points on 7 shots, in 24 minutes? You have to love that efficiency – this is why statheads love him. And why you should love him? He can score in various ways, as he hurt the Warriors last night with his jump shot, his runner, and his ability to get to the basket. He outscored fellow rook Stephen Curry on this night, despite playing 16 fewer minutes and attempting 7 fewer field goal attempts. Another fun fact: his PER so far this season is 17.6. His teammate J.R. Smith’s? 15.1. Can’t give Denver enough credit for acquiring him in the draft.

Dante Cunningham: 6 Pts (2-6 FG, 2-3 FT), 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 PF in 18 mins.

Four fouls in 18 minutes? Ah, rookies. You have to be happy for Cunningham, though, as he made his first career NBA start last night due to LaMarcus Aldridge nursing his knee. While he obviously didn’t make up for Aldridge’s production, he had a positive impact on the game with his hustle. You know I love players like that. And I’m not the only one, check out what Seth Johnston of Bust A Bucket had to say:

Energy like Cunningham’s is something I am craving more and more as we sit and wait for the team’s bigger personalities to sort out their issues. I want a hyperactive role player power forward to just go nuts out there and provide me with some sort of vicarious catharsis. So thanks for giving me a little of that, Dante.

Darren Collison: 20 Pts (7-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT), 5 Ast, 2 Reb, 4 TO, 2 Stl, 2 PF in 34 mins.
Collison continues to be awesome. I cannot BELIEVE Byron Scott was playing Bobby Brown over him earlier this season. I mean, I feel bad that Byron is without work, but I’m sorry, that was inexcusable. A kid this quick, with his ability to penetrate, knock down shots, and play defense? You put him out there over a chucker like Bobby, every time. Some analysis from Niall Dohery of Hornets247:

He would have had a few hockey assists if anyone kept count, and he was pesky as always on defense. He had two nice plays against Kobe, first getting by him on the perimeter late in the third quarter, keeping him on his back and then using a hesitation dribble to open up a gap for the layup. About a minute later he shadowed Bryant brilliantly to slow down the break and help stop the Lakers getting an easy bucket at the end of the period.

Additionally, he had a crazy buzzer-beater at the end of the 1st half. I’ll put the video here when/if it surfaces.

Fun With Stats

Brendan Haywood shot 1-8 from the line last night against Toronto. This, obviously, hurt his team. Fortunately, he made his minutes worthwhile by doing a very respectable job on Chris Bosh, who was held to 7-22 from the field. If the big man had just made his free throws, though, this game wouldn’t have come down to the final couple of minutes. The Wizards managed to escape with a victory after Hedo Turkoglu committed an unforced turnover with 31 seconds left in the game, but if you’re a Wizards fan you have to think it shouldn’t have got to that point.

In the Phoenix/New York game, the Suns failed to reach 100 points for the first time this season. The Knicks managed 100 points by the end of the third quarter. I should also point out the magnificent work of Danilo Gallinari: 27 pts (10-19 FG, 6-12 3PT, 1-2 FT), 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 0 (!) TO in 36 mins. Check out what Seth of Posting and Toasting had to say about Gallo’s fantastic all-around game:

He looked much more confident and made his way into the center of the court to participate more in the offensive flow. There were backdoor cuts, frontdoor cuts, and even a stop-and-pop banker from about 12 feet out.

So great that he’s being more than just an excellent three-point shooter, isn’t it? I am sure that Francesco Cappelletti of Ball In Europe is proud as hell right now.

Also scoring from all over the floor last night was Anthony Morrow, who scored 27 points against Denver while only hitting 2 three pointers (in all of his other 20+ games this year, he’s had at least 4 threes). It may be because of the limited bodies the Warriors have at their disposal right now, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that gorgeous shot launched so often these days.

Two more statistical shout-outs for before I move on – Michael Beasley and Ray Allen were huge in winning efforts. Beas was one point short of his career high, finishing with 27 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor and 11-12 (!) from the line. Pleasing his fantasy owners, he also contributed 8 rebounds, a block, and a steal. Jesus Shuttlesworth came through with his best game of the season, too, as he poured in 27 points on only 9 field goal attempts. When you go 5-6 from downtown and 10-10 from the line, that type of statistical improbability can happen. Oh, and he threw in 5 rebounds, 5 assists, a block, and a steal. Nice to have you back, Ray Ray.

Quoted

“They spread, they go, and they’re kind of all over the place.” – Carmelo Anthony, on Golden State’s offense, from Denver’s telecast. So few words here, but I don’t think he’s missing anything.

“Who are these guys?” – Clyde Frazier, on the Knicks, from New York’s telecast. I must say, Clyde, I was wondering the same thing. 71 points in the first half?

“Just pathetic defense by the Suns.” – Clyde Frazier again, providing spot-on analysis of how Larry Hughes was able to amass about 48 assists in about 4 seconds against Phoenix.

“I’m happy for our fans. They got to go home and watch (North) Carolina and Michigan State. If any of them were smart, they would have left early and watched that game.” – Larry Brown. Wait, there’s more, check out this next gem…

“I think even Doc Rivers had 12 points.” – Gerald Wallace. Ouch. I don’t think you need me to say any more about last night’s Boston/Charlotte matchup.

“I decided today I was going to be more aggressive. It’s fun. It relieves the pressure, it gets me off the ball and puts me back into my old mode where I was just scoring.” – Gilbert Arenas. I was quite impressed with Gilbert last night, even if he’s not quite back to his old self yet. Actually, that gives me an idea…

Impressive

Gilbert Arenas: 22 Pts (7-17 FG, 3-7 3PT, 5-5 FT), 3 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 TO, 1 Stl, 1 Blk in 38 mins.

It took Gil a little while to get going with his shot, but he was dishing out assists as soon as the first quarter began. Only once the fourth quarter began did Agent Zero really join the party, but when he did it was something to see. Like the Gilbert of old, he took control of the game near the end, scoring 12 points in the final frame. Not trying to ignore Antawn Jamison’s 10 fourth-quarter points, but Arenas was leading the team. As a Raptors fan it was annoying, but as a Gilbert fan it was heartening. Give him some more time and he’ll be dominating more quarters.

Andrea Bargnani: 20 Pts (8-14 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT), 11 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 2 TO, 1 Blk, 5 PF in 35 mins.

I could definitely get used to seeing double-doubles next to Bargs’s name. Love that. The Italian Rodman grabbed 7 of those boards in the first half, with 3 of them coming on the offensive end. As always, you love his efficient scoring, but when Bargs is boxing out properly and getting after it inside, all of Raptors Nation is proud. More of this please, sir. Oh, almost forgot – his one block came against Earl Boykins. I can’t recall a single instance of Earl Boykins getting a perimeter jumper of his blocked in the NBA, but Bargs managed to do it. Kudos.

Tweeted

@stackmack: On the pizza promo front: Turkoglu’s ONLY make in the fourth quarter was a pointless three at the buzzer to win pizza for the crowd.

@Nat77: Raptor fans cheered when for a buzzer beating slice of pizza and booed while their team was only down 3 and had a chance… #teampromofail

@LakersReporter Lakers crowd is incensed with N.O. scrapping during garbage time enough to threaten free tacos. 99 pts. w/04.8 left…

BAH. Rant time. This stuff pisses me off. Get rid of all of these stupid promotions. If the crowd is chanting, I want it to be about the game. End of story. And, Raptors fans, you’re letting me down lately. I love your passion for the team, I love that there seem to be a gazillon of you on the internet, but smarten up. This isn’t directed at all of you (after all, I am a Raptors fan), just the pizza people and the two fools in the section next to me who were heckling Chris Bosh on Sunday. Not cool.

@ticktock6: I think it’s hilarious that my entire twitter feed is cracking jokes about that Devin Brown airball. Lord, it was so bad. I’m still laughing

@kpelton: Every time I watch this Hornets-Lakers game, Bobby Brown is shooting. He does not lack for confidence.

I don’t even know how I feel about the Browns anymore. It’s just ridiculous at this point. At the beginning of the season, I was screaming at Byron Scott for playing them. Now, they both kind of need to be on the court for at least some stretches, but come on. What is going through their heads with some of these shots? The Devin Brown shot Ticktock6 from Hornets Hype is talking about was honestly one of the worst shots I have EVER seen. Very comparable to Zach Randolph’s boneheaded end-of-game three-pointer last year, except it came in the 1st quarter with plenty of time on the shot clock. As for her reaction (which was the same as mine) – sometimes, you have to laugh because the only other option is to cry. I’ll definitely post the video here if it surfaces later today. Here’s hoping.

To Watch

Lamar Odom destroying Hilton Armstrong:

(This spot is reserved for when nba.com puts up John Thompson’s interview from last night about Allen Iverson. Come on, guys.)

To Read

Generally, I’m going to use this section for articles/posts published the previous day, leaning more heavily on stuff that hasn’t been linked much elsewhere (like this piece on Carl Landry, this one on Jarrett Jack, this one on Mike Wilks, and this one on the Wolves). Today, though, I’ve got to direct you to three excellent Thanksgiving-inspired pieces from a few days ago. If you’re American and you took a break from the NBA for a couple days there, I forgive you, but do yourself a favour and read these. The first two speak perfectly for me, and the last one speaks to me.

Giving Thanks To The Game, by Holly MacKenzie

Guess what I’m thankful for? by Kelly Dwyer

A Different Set Of Eyes, by Tim Donahue