Author: John Paulsen (Page 811 of 937)

Cleveland 88, San Antonio 81
Whether or not LeBron James wants to admit it, this was a statement game for the Cavs, who desperately want to be considered one of the league’s elite teams. They definitely made a statement with this win. In all fairness, the Spurs were coming off an emotional win in Dallas the night before, but they still should be able to handle the Cavs at home if they’re the league’s best team. They struggled mightily from the line, shooting a miserable 18-34, anchored by Tim Duncan’s 9-19 performance. If he continues to shoot like that from the line, it’s going to be a problem for the Spurs. (He did finish with 25 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Spurs in both categories.) LeBron looked great, tallying 35 points and 10 boards, and has proved that he is the best in the league at finishing at the hoop. He needs to do a better job of finishing games, however. And for some reason, he’s still fading away on his long jumpers. It makes sense when he’s driving and rising, but when he’s shooting a wide-open three, I don’t know why he fades. That’s going to lead to inconsistent shooting. Big Z is looking more and more out of place on this team. The demand for a slow 7’3” center has to be decreasing with the league’s movement towards an up-tempo game.

Random Thoughts: I was most surprised by Minnesota’s 112-109 win in Denver, Sacramento’s 89-88 win in Chicago and Utah’s 108-104 win in Phoenix. The Hornets also got a nice win in Indiana, 100-91…Fantasy-wise, the biggest shock is how many points and minutes Quentin Richardson is posting. Through two games, he has 50 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. Of course, it helps that the team released Jalen Rose, who quickly signed with the Suns. Now that should be interesting…T.J. Ford has already made an impact in Toronto, dishing out 18 assists in two games. Throw in 32 points and eight rebounds and you’ve got yourself a point guard.

There were only two games tonight in the NBA, but they were both good matchups. The Spurs beat the Mavs in Dallas, 97-91, even though Tim Duncan didn’t play very well. It’s early, but San Antonio’s win on the road is a statement. The Spurs found something in Francisco Elson, a seven-foot forward/center whom they signed away from the Denver Nuggets. He is a tremendous athlete and can run the floor. Against the Mavs, he tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds and blocked two shots in 26 minutes. Look for his role to increase as he gains more experience. With Duncan and Manu Ginobili completely healthy, the Spurs look like the class of the West.

In the other game, the Clippers bounced back from a loss at Phoenix last night to nip the Nuggets, 96-95. Carmelo Anthony was ejected early in the third quarter after drawing two technicals for arguing with the officials, so the Clippers really should have won this game by a larger margin. In truth, they were lucky to escape with a win. Sam Cassell made a bonehead turnover late in the game with his team up one that led to a J.R. Smith dunk. But Cassell is nothing if not crafty, and he drew a foul on the next possession to give the Clippers the win. He finished with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists. On the other hand, Smith is primed for a breakout year as the Nuggets’ starting shooting guard. He led Denver with 21 points and provides the long-range shooting that the Nuggets so desperately need.

On a side note, the NBA should consider giving home court advantage to whomever wins the season series. This would place a bigger emphasis on regular season games and give the players something else to play for. If two teams split the season series, then home court would go to the team with the better record, as it does now. Thoughts?