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      Magic hold off Lakers in Finals rematch, 96-94

      March 7, 2010 /

      I hesitate to call this a rematch, because it’s just a regular season game and there isn’t much on the line, but this one had a postseason feel to it and was quite chippy, especially in the second half.

      The Magic led by 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers went on an 8-0 run to start the period and cut the lead to just two. The game was nip and tuck the rest of the way, but the Lakers never took the lead or even tied the game. After hitting a long two on the previous possession to cut the lead to one (and staring defiantly into the crowd), Kobe Bryant missed a game-tying jumper as time expired.

      After getting into several scraps with Bryant throughout the second half, Matt Barnes hit a huge three with 1:10 to play to push the lead to six. He and Kobe were pushing and shoving throughout the game, and at one point they were called for a double technical.

      I’ve always liked Barnes’ hard-nosed style, though he needs to do a better job of showing poise in certain situations. He’s sort of like Bruce Bowen, but a little crazy. After his first technical, there were a couple of points where the officials would have been totally justified in ejecting him from the game. He repeatedly walked right through Kobe in an effort to show that he’s not going to back down. Kobe went for 34-7-7, but he missed 18 of his 30 shots.

      Is this Magic team capable of making another postseason run? I think so, but I’m not a big fan of Vince Carter in crunch time. The Magic will be aided by the fact that Jameer Nelson has stayed healthy thus far — if you remember, he missed most of the playoffs last season and was a little rusty when he came back in the Finals. The Lakers don’t really have an answer for Nelson’s quickness.


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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Brandon Marshall in Seattle for a visit, but who else is interested?

      March 7, 2010 /

      Things could be heating up on the Brandon Marshall trade front. Here’s what we know so far:

      – On Saturday, Marshall was reportedly in Seattle doing a meet-and-greet with the Seahawks. While they didn’t sign the restricted free agent to an offer sheet, the Seattle Times speculates that the Seahawks would send the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft to the Broncos for Marshall.

      If that sounds far-fetched, it’s probably because it is. In fact, ESPN NFC West beat writer Mike Sando says that he would be shocked if the Hawks parted with their top pick, although that doesn’t mean the two sides can’t work out another trade if Marshall is signed to an offer sheet.

      – Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post writes that the Seahawks could have competition for Marshall shortly, although he doesn’t say which teams could be interested. The very reliable Rotoworld.com speculates that the Patriots, Falcons and Bengals make sense.

      Out of the three teams Rotoworld mentions, I think the Patriots and Bengals do make sense, although I highly doubt the Falcons would join the party. While they would love to add another big time playmaker opposite Roddy White, I doubt they’ll part with their first round pick (19th overall) to address the offensive side of the ball with holes at outside linebacker and defensive end. GM Thomas Dimitroff would like to continue his rebuilding project on defense and it makes it harder for him to do that without a first round pick. I think Dunta Robinson was the only big splash the Falcons will make this offseason.

      We’ll monitor this situation next week and see if a) the Seahawks eventually sign Marshall to an offer sheet and/or b) another team joins the race.


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      NFL

      Tony Parker breaks hand, could miss six weeks

      March 7, 2010 /

      Per ESPN…

      Parker broke the fourth metacarpal — the bone between the bottom knuckle and the wrist — near the end of the first half and did not return to the game. The injury apparently occurred during a scramble for the ball.

      “He’s got a broken hand. He’ll be out six weeks,” the Spurs coach said. “He did it in the first half when he dove on the floor.”

      The Spurs currently sit in the #7 playoff spot, one game ahead of the Blazers and 5.5 games ahead of the Grizzlies and Rockets. With just 22 games left to play, San Antonio should be safe. The Spurs have gone 5-5 in games that Parker has missed this season and George Hill has played very well in February and March (16-3-3, 46% shooting).

      It used to be that the Spurs just needed to be healthy for the playoffs, but they haven’t gelled like they hoped they would this season. Parker’s return would put him back in mid-April, which coincides with the start of the playoffs. If everyone is healthy, they’ll be a tough out against the Jazz or the Nuggets as a #7 seed, but if they finish in the #8 spot, they’ll be in for a rough series against the Lakers.


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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstops

      March 6, 2010 /

      All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      Sometimes it pays to be patient when it comes to drafting certain positions in fantasy baseball. For example, waiting to snag your starting catcher until late in your draft makes sense. Landing a couple star players at weaker positions in the early rounds while waiting to select someone in a deep pool of first basemen can also be adventurous.

      But choosing not to grab an elite shortstop in one of the first two rounds is about as smart as bringing a knife to a gunfight. You’ll be at a serious disadvantage because the talent pool after the top five players doesn’t level off – it drops off a mountain.

      If you weren’t lucky enough to land one of the top picks in the draft, then you’ll probably miss out on Hanley Ramirez. Don’t sweat it – there are four other shortstops that you can target in one of the first two rounds in order to set yourself up with a great player at shortstop. Just make sure you snag one of the top five or else you could wind up pulling your hair out because you just can’t get enough consistent production out of your starting shortstop position.

      Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
      Ramirez is in a class all his own. He’s a five-tool superstar that will give you 25-plus home run power, 90-plus RBI and 100-plus runs, all while stealing 25-plus bases and hitting anywhere from .320 to .340. The problem is, if you don’t have one of the top 2 spots in your draft you won’t have him on your roster this season.

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      #1 Syracuse falls to Louisville

      March 6, 2010 /

      With Jerry Smith sidelined, reserve Kyle Kuric got some extra run, and closed Freedom Hall in style. The sophomore scored a career-high 22 points (all in the second half), hitting 9-11 from the field and 4-6 from long range, as the Cardinals beat Syracuse for the sixth straight time, 78-68, in the final game at historic Freedom Hall.

      Kuric’s performance was electrifying. Louisivlle was trailing 42-39 with 14:19 to play when Kuric scored his first bucket on a fast break dunk. By the time he scored his 22nd point, Louisville led 77-64 with under a minute to play. During that run, he made four straight threes and several alley-oop dunks.

      Louisville won’t have to worry about getting a bid to the NCAA tournament now. They’re 11-7 in conference and 20-11 overall, but two wins against Syracuse will surely earn the Cardinals a bid.


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      College Basketball

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