By Mike Weilamann
November 11, 2007: SCOREBOARD | IN FOCUS GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE
PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
Al Horford scored nine points for the Hawks in Sunday's loss to Washington. Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"It feels like you got King Kong off your back.''
-- Washington's Caron Butler after posting 24 points to help the Wizards snap their five-game losing streak to start the season with Sunday's win over the Hawks.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Sunday's top play: LeBron James takes flight for the nifty windmill slam.
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NBA.COM'S FANTASY TAKE
Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor is looking every bit the part of a projected top-five center. Okafor notched his fifth double-double in six games, 12 points and 11 rebounds, in Sunday's home loss to the Rockets. The University of Connecticut product entered the night averaging 13.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. Another positive was his 4-for-5 night from the free throw line. Check out NBA.com's Fantasy Index for more news and insight.
SHOOTING STUDS
Richard Hamilton, Pistons107-103 win at Sonics
32 pts, 11-21 FG, 3-6 FT, 7-9 FT
Yao Ming, Rockets
85-82 win at Bobcats
34 pts, 13-15 FG, 8-8 FT
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
113-88 win vs. Bucks
21 pts, 6-9 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG, 6-6 FT
STAT SHEET STUFFER
Yao Ming came up big all night long for the Houston Rockets. The 7-6 center finished with a season-high 34 points on 13-of-15 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists in leading the way to an 85-82 win over the Bobcats on Sunday. Yao calmly sank two free throws with 20.4 seconds left, giving the Rockets the lead for good. Yao was 9-for-9 shooting, before missing a jumper with 8:52 left in the third quarter.
SHOOTING DUDS
Jamal Crawford, Knicks75-72 loss vs. Heat
4-14 FG, 1-6 3-pt FG, 13 pts
Kyle Korver, Sixers
93-72 loss vs. Hornets
5-14 FG, 1-8 3-pt FG, 13 pts
Ricky Davis, Heat
75-72 win at Knicks
5-15 FG, 2-9 3-pt FG, 14 pts
SONICS STILL SEARCHING
Even at a disappointing 0-7, the Sonics aren’t sleepless in Seattle. Rookies Kevin Durant (19 points) and Jeff Green (17 points) are injecting life into a struggling team that had the home fans buzzing by mounting a stirring comeback against the Pistons on Sunday. Down seven points with four minutes left to play, Seattle reeled off three straight buckets to tie the game, before eventually falling 107-103 at Key Arena. Seattle trailed by as many as 23 in the first half. Besides the rookies, four other Sonics finished in double figures. Chris Wilcox had 15 points and Nick Collison added 13, while Damien Wilkins and Kurt Thomas posted 13 and 10, respectively. The loss, which leaves the Sonics with their worst start in franchise history, was on the heels of a tough 103-101 loss to the Jazz on Friday. Minnesota and Golden State are the only other winless teams.
NIGHT OF FIRSTS
The Heat and the Wizards are on the board in 2007-08. Both teams registered their first wins of the young season on Sunday. Miami, led by 17 points from Jason Williams, prevailed 75-72 over the Knicks in a defensive struggle at Madison Square Garden. Washington got 24 points from Caron Butler and 23 from Antawn Jamison in a 101-90 road win over the Hawks -- avoiding the franchise’s first 0-6 start. The Heat, swept in the playoffs last season, picked up their first win since beating Indiana on April 13 in their 80th game of 2006-07. Butler and Jamison called a team meeting prior to Sunday’s game and proceeded to lead on the floor. All five starters finished in double figures for the first time this season. The Wizards never trailed and had a season-high 26 assists and a low of 12 turnovers.
SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
Manu Ginobili is unquestionably the Spurs’ ace in the hole. Ginobili once again provided a spark off the bench with 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Sunday’s 113-88 win over the Bucks. The sixth-year guard was on from the start, posting seven points in just over two minutes in the opening period as the 6-1 Spurs raced to a 36-24 lead. He added 13 points in the second quarter as San Antonio had the game well in hand up 27 at the break.
LOCKDOWN OF THE NIGHT
The Miami Heat didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard Sunday against the Knicks. However, the defense was a different story all together. Anfernee Hardaway (four steals) and the Heat put the clamps on New York shooters, holding Jamal Crawford and his teammates, to 37 percent shooting (28-of-75) from the floor in a 75-72 road victory at Madison Square Garden. Miami earned its first victory of the season, holding New York to just 33 second-half points.
ROOKIE WATCH
Milwaukee is off to a slow start, but Yi Jianlian continues to impress in his first NBA season. The Bucks’ rookie posted a solid stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks as the Bucks fell to 2-4 with Sunday’s 113-88 loss to Tim Duncan and the defending world champion Spurs. The 7-foot forward from China is now averaging 15 points per game over his last four contests. He also has shown he can hang with the league's top big men.
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