By Chris Rosenbluth
Jan. 20, 2007: SCOREBOARD | PHOTO GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE
PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
Mehmet Okur's big night helped Jerry Sloan move past Larry Brown and into sole ownership of fourth place on the all-time wins list. Gary Dineen/NBAE/GettyQUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"We came out and took care of business early and got some rest.''
-- Detroit's Chauncey Billups, after playing just 26 minutes in a 91-74 victory over the visiting Kings. The Pistons dominated, holding Sacramento to 12 first-quarter points and expanding their lead to as many as 28 points while never trailing.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Saturday's top play: Vince Carter goes up and under for a pretty layup.
|
|
RICK KAMLA'S FANTASY TAKE
"The Warriors' and Pacers' new players got to work Saturday. Stephen Jackson scored a season-high 29 and had five steals, but Baron was out, so don't get too excited. Al Harrington will be a rock star the rest of the way. Troy Murphy had a double-double and a big second half is in store. Mike Dunleavy started, but I'm not crazy about his prospects because Indiana has a lot of scorers."
SHOOTING STUDS
J.R. Smith, Nuggets121-113 OT win at Rockets
24 pts, 9-14 FG, 6-9 3-pt FG
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
115-110 OT win vs. Celtics
23 pts, 9-15 FG, 4-7 3-pt FG
Matt Carroll, Bobcats
104-85 win vs. Hawks
22 pts, 9-12 FG, 1-2 3-pt FG
STAT SHEET STUFFER
Allen Iverson may have stolen the show with 36 points, but Marcus Camby provided the kind of dominant effort Nuggets fans have come to expect when the big guy is healthy. The Camby Man scored 12 points, collected 22 rebounds and turned away five Rockets shots in a 121-113 overtime win. Denver ended regulation with an 8-0 spurt to force OT and then scored 13 of the first 15 in the bonus frame to take care of business.
SHOOTING DUDS
Damon Stoudamire, Grizzlies112-91 loss at Clippers
0-6 FG, 0-6 3-pt FG, 0 pt
Kevin Martin, Kings
91-74 loss at Pistons
1-7 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG, 5 pts
Dwight Howard, Magic
101-94 loss at Nets
0-6, 1 pt
PACERS AND WARRIORS SHOW OFF REMADE ROSTERS
Three days after pulling the trigger on an eight-player trade, Pacers and Warriors fans finally got the chance to see the newest members of their teams in action. In Indiana, head coach Rick Carlisle started Mike Dunleavy at the off-guard spot and got a solid 14-point, four-assist, three-rebound performance from the sinewy swing man. Troy Murphy supplied 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, good for his first double-double in 13 appearances. Unfortunately, the Pacers, who trailed by as many as 15 before a late rally, lost to the Knicks, 108-106. A few hours later and 2,300 miles away, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington both started in a tough overtime loss to the Cavs. Jackson scored 29 but missed a potential game-winning 3-ball as time expired in OT. Harrington had 14 points and 12 boards, and Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 10.
NOT AS EASY AS THEY THOUGHT
If the Wizards thought their home game against the Celtics would result in an easy win, few would fault their confidence. Washington entered play atop the Eastern Conference, winners of nine straight at the Verizon Center and three in a row overall. Boston had gone two weeks without a win and hasn't seen .500 since sometime last season. However, the Celtics showed unexpected life, turning a 21-point deficit into a six-point lead in the fourth quarter behind a career effort from Ryan Gomes (31 points on 12-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds). They gave it back down the stretch, though, and the game went to overtime after the usually clutch Gilbert Arenas missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Wizards took control from there and picked up a 115-110 victory. They now have their longest home winning streak since 1989.
.500 NEVER FELT SO GOOD
It's been a long time, but a team in the Atlantic Division finally broke even. The Nets improved their record to 20-20 with a 101-94 win over the Magic, reaching .500 for the first time since Nov. 20. That was the last time any member of the Atlantic had a winning percentage at or above the break-even mark. The aforementioned Celtics haven't sniffed the plateau, the Knicks last saw it on Nov. 3 (after two games), the Raptors on Nov. 10 (after four) and the Sixers on Nov. 17 (after eight). The victory was the Nets' season-best fourth straight. While Vince Carter's 27 points, and Jason Kidd's 16, eight rebounds and seven assists, played a large factor in the outcome of Saturday's game, New Jersey's lockdown defense on Dwight Howard was even more crucial. Howard was limited to a career-low one point and just six rebounds.
MEETING OF THE ROYs
Those paying close attention to the matinee matchup between the Clippers and Grizzlies were treated to an interesting quirk in the resumes of the 10 players on the floor for the opening tip: Four of them 
have Rookie of the Year trophies displayed on their mantels. L.A.'s Elton Brand won the award in 2000 with the Bulls, while Memphis' Damon Stoudamire (1996 with the Raptors), Mike Miller (2001 with the Magic) and Pau Gasol (2002) each took home the honor in their freshman campaigns. Brand's 34 points in a 112-91 Clippers win highlighted the gathering, but Gasol was good, too, finishing with 27 points. Miller had 13 and seven dimes, while Stoudamire was held scoreless.
ROOKIE WATCH
For the second consecutive night, Adam Morrison showed the Hawks why he was taken with third pick in the draft. On Saturday, The 'Stache scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, as the Bobcats completed the home-and-home sweep with a 104-85 win over Atlanta. In an ironic twist, J.J. Redick -- the man who edged Morrison for national collegiate player of the year honors last season -- scored a career-high and shot the rock well for the Magic in a loss to the Nets.
SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
The Hornets signed veteran Bobby Jackson in the offseason to come off the bench behind Chris Paul. But, with CP3 still nursing a badly sprained ankle, Jackson -- who has missed 21 games this season -- backed up Rasual Butler on Saturday and paid big dividends in a 113-103 home win over the Lakers. He played 27 minutes and finished with 15 points, six boards, three assists and three steals, the last of which resulted in a fast-break layup that put the final touches on the victory.
D-LEAGUE STAR OF THE NIGHT
Two men whose last names sound the same but look different on paper dominated the D-League on Saturday. Vincent Grier tallied 31 points and six rebounds as the Sioux Falls Skyforce handed the Arkansas RimRockers their 14th straight loss, 118-88. Quemont Greer of the Dakota Wizards had a big night, as well, dropping 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a 103-96 loss to the Fort Worth Flyers. He added eight rebounds and five assists.
NBA.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network